


Timeless

by Fireismyelement97



Category: TVD - Fandom, The Vampire Diaries (TV), Vampire Diaries
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Historical, Romance, Time Travel, and i also really needed bonnie to wear a pretty dress because she deserves nice things, bloodsharing, i just really needed bonnie to attend the mikaelson ball, kennett, timetravel, two kols
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-10-21 00:46:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 95,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17632904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fireismyelement97/pseuds/Fireismyelement97
Summary: Season 3 AU. Bonnie Bennett gets drawn into a plot to kill the Original vampires by Esther. Things go horribly wrong and she gets sent back in time to when they were human with Kol.





	1. Chapter 1

*Disclaimer: I don’t own TVD etc.* 

Bonnie Bennett was nursing an awful headache with a cloth full of ice pressed against the back of her head. She had already taken four Advil tablets, but they hadn’t kicked in yet. Her mother, Abby sat across from her at the kitchen table. She had given up on persuading Bonnie to have some of the herbal tea she had made. Her refusal had nothing to do with the tea and everything to do with the fact that she wanted nothing from Abby. Still, the worst thing about her headache was that her and Abby had not woken up until the next day. Waking up concussed and disoriented in a cave had to be the low point of her life and she was seriously considering moving from Mystic Falls permanently.  
“Whatever was in that coffin packed quite a punch, huh?” Abby said a faint smile on her lips.  
“Yeah,” Bonnie agreed.  
Maybe it was awful of her, but she couldn’t help wondering when Abby was going to leave. She shouldn’t be in the kitchen trying to make awkward small talk. Now that the coffin was open she should leave.  
“When does your dad get back?” Abbey asked, she glanced toward the entrance.  
“Soon, you should probably go,” Bonnie replied not caring that she was being rude.  
Not long after Abby left her cellphone rang. The caller ID showed it was Stefan and she didn’t want to pick up, but if the Ripper version of Stefan was calling her, it was probably some new disaster.  
“What?” she demanded in a harsh tone.  
“Well good morning to you too, sunshine.”  
Ripper Stefan was too much like Damon for her to be comfortable with it.  
“What do you want, Stefan?” she repeated in annoyance.  
“Right to the chase, I like it.”  
“Yeah, well my head still hurts from yesterday and this morning I woke up in a cave so whatever it is, I am not in the mood.”  
“Funny you should mention yesterday…”  
“Oh God, what is it?”  
“Guess who was in the lockbox?”  
“Just tell me,” she groaned, clutching her head.  
“It was Esther, the Original Witch.”  
“Wait – what? Like Klaus’s mother? Didn’t he kill her?” her headache was getting worse by the second.  
“Apparently Ayanna preserved her body.”  
“Creepy,” she muttered. The doorbell rang and Bonnie got up. “Well this is great, just great. So what does she want?” she asked as she shuffled toward the door.  
“Get this, she wants to be a family again,” Stefan told her as she opened the door. “And she’s throwing a ball this evening.”  
Bonnie stared at the small manila envelope on her doorstep. She had a sinking feeling about its content. She picked it up, instead of answering Stefan. Bonnie Bennett was scrawled in elegant scripture against it.  
“Bonnie?”  
She ignored him and opened it. Skimming it, she realized to her horror it was an invitation.  
“I just got my invite,” Bonnie breathed. “There’s something on the back, hold on. Bonnie, I believe we have much to discuss, Esther,” she read aloud to the vampire on the other end of the line.  
“She wants to meet both you and Elena then,” Stefan said a calculating note had come into his voice.  
“Elena’s going?” Bonnie asked chewing on her bottom lip. She had a feeling both she and Elena should just stay in tonight.  
“Assuming she can get past Damon.”  
“Right,” she would have laughed except Damon’s obsession with Elena was starting to get a little creepy. “Shit, I have to go dress shopping.”  
She hung up.  
Then she took another couple of Advil because stress was making her headache approach epic proportions. Once that was done, she dug out her dad’s credit card.  
Bonnie didn’t need shoes, which was lucky because she hated shoe shopping. It was just around noon by the time she found a dress. She decided to stop by the Grill for something to drink in the heat and to say hi to Matt.  
One of the first things she saw was Elena and Caroline sitting at the table. They were chatting and Bonnie could not help feeling a little hurt.  
“Hmm and here I thought you were the best friend,” a chilly accented voice said right next to her ear.  
Bonnie didn’t even flinch, she was getting all too used to vampires sneaking up on her.  
“At least I have friends, Rebekah,” she answered shooting her a dirty look.  
“Ouch, someone’s feisty,” Rebekah commented with a smirk. “But I’ll let it go since you’ve been ditched.”  
Bonnie rolled her eyes as Rebekah strode off, blonde ponytail swishing behind her. The Original vampire was obviously on a mission, but she didn’t know what kind. When Bonnie saw her approach Elena and Caroline, she decided it was time to follow knowing how Rebekah felt about Elena.  
Bonnie caught up with her just in time to hear her telling Elena to get over herself. She sat down with her friends. She smiled and said ‘hi’, but they were too busy watching Rebekah to really notice. Once she saw her approach Matt, a chill ran down Bonnie’s spine. She listened to Elena and Caroline chatter, but didn’t join in. She’d already made up her mind to go and now she made it her mission to protect Matt. The Salvatores would be too worried about Elena to care about Matt and Caroline would need backup against an Original vampire. A sneaky little voice in the back of her mind whispered that Rebekah was right about one thing, not everything was about Elena.  
XXX  
Bonnie spun around in the mirror, she might be going stag, but at least she looked pretty. She could hear her dad downstairs pacing. She would have taken him as her plus one except this was vampire business and she didn’t want him to get hurt. Otherwise, she would have loved to spend some time with him. He worked so much, she hardly saw him and spending non-witch time with him was always good. He just didn’t get the witch-thing and trying to make him understand only confused and worried him more.  
He was however, going to drive her. With one last glance in the mirror, Bonnie was off. Rudy was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, grinning.  
“One picture,” he said drawing Bonnie’s attention to the camera in his hands.  
“Dad,” Bonnie complained, but she couldn’t quite keep the smile from her face. It was cute when he did dad stuff, reminded her she had one normal parent. So she let him have his one picture, which turned into ten.  
“You look beautiful, Bonnie.”  
“Dad, c’mon, we really don’t need to get emotional about this dateless event. And we totally don’t need to document it,” she rolled her eyes, but a smile took the brunt off her words.  
“Alright, let’s go.”  
The Mikaelson mansion was well-lit and there were a lot of cars ahead of them. The car crawled forward as people got out one by one.  
“At least I won’t be the first one there,” Bonnie joked.  
“Hmm,” Rudy replied tapping the steering wheel with his fingers. “These Mikaelson people are they –” he cleared his throat. “Witches?”  
“No, they’re vampires,” she mumbled, hoping he would not hear her.  
“Do you have to go?”  
“Dad, you were fine like not even five minutes ago.”  
“I know but I just got thinking.”  
“I’ll be OK, I’m mostly just going to make sure no one else gets hurt,” Bonnie said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice.  
“Yeah, but why is it your job? You’re just a kid,” Rudy fixed her with a piercing look.  
“Because I can kill a vampire with one look,” it was not true, but if it made her dad feel better.  
They were next in line.  
Rudy nodded. “Be careful,” he said as they pulled up. “And I love you.”  
“I love you too, dad,” Bonnie said genuinely moved.  
The door was opened for her by a valet. Bonnie smiled at him and thanked him. She threw one last glance at the car her dad was driving away in. Then she began the climb up the stairs to the stately mansion. The doors were swung wide open and Bonnie walked straight into an entranceway with a soft glow to it. Any other nightstand any other home and she would have been floored. She would not mind living like this, but tonight she was all business. A man at the door took her shawl.  
Bonnie made her way further into the house. It was nothing short of regal, an effect that was added to by the soft strings of classical musical playing and the waiters ghosting through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne flutes.  
Bonnie was offered a champagne flute and accepted it. So she was here, she had a drink. Now what?  
It made her wish she had a date, especially when she realized the only person, she knew was Damon. And she’d really rather not talk to him. Besides, even if she had wanted to it looked like he was riling up the mayor and a dark haired man she did not know. Of course, the mayor was too well-mannered to let it show, but her subtle hand gestures spoke volumes and it was Damon, of course he was pissing people off.  
Not wanting to talk to Damon, Bonnie decided to wander. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elena arrive. She also saw how Damon reacted, he was on the move in a heartbeat.  
Typical.  
The dark haired man with mayor Lockwood laughed and said something. Then he too was walking away.  
Bonnie pretended to study a painting and sipped at the champagne. It was delicious light and bubbly. And probably cost more than her car.  
“You must be the local witch,” a male voice said uncomfortably close to her ear. The voice was smooth with a British accent.  
Bonnie turned around slowly. She was not about to show him that he had unnerved him, but neither was she about to let him get too close. With ease, she took a step back. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him.  
“And you must be another Mikaelson.”  
He cracked a charming smile. It was the sort of smile that lit up an entire room and Bonnie noticed how much taller than her, he was. The vampire towered over her, his build was lean yet clearly strong. That alone should have made him look older, but his face had a boyish charm coupled with hazel eyes and artfully messy brown hair that made him appear made a couple of years older than her at the most.  
“I’m Kol Mikaelson.”  
“Bonnie Bennett, but you knew that already,” she muttered when she saw how he smirked in response to her name.  
What was it with the Mikaelsons and smirking? Was it like a family trait?  
“I know. I knew several of your ancestors.”  
“Bully for you,” Bonnie replied with a saccharine smile.  
Determined to put some distance between herself and Kol she wandered off. Her eyes landed on each of the paintings in turn before she stopped in front of one that was all too familiar. It was a beautiful lily pond landscape painted in impressionist style. In the bottom right-hand corner it read Claude Monet in a scribbled messy signature.  
Bonnie did not believe it.  
Still trying to decide whether or not it was the real deal, Kol sauntered up next to her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. His breath fanned along her neck and she blushed.  
“Nik collects paintings. That’s no fake, little witch.”  
“Did he steal it?” she inquired.  
Kol snorted a laugh and leaned back.  
Had she offended him? If so, good, she thought with satisfaction.  
“I’m not certain,” Kol said with a furrowed brow. “No, I think the Manet in his bedroom is stolen, but I am certain he purchased the Monet.”  
Bonnie quirked a brow. “You know your painters, I’ll give you that.”  
“I’ve been alive for a long time. Tell me what’s your favorite style?”  
“I don’t know. I like impressionism, but expressionism has a wildness that’s unmatched,” Bonnie cocked her head to the side and took a step back to look at the painting. “Then again, this is beautiful.”  
From further back, she could clearly see the flowers and the light that was reflected on the surface of the water. Monet had truly tried to capture the moment, back before cameras were a thing, obviously.  
“Now, I’m the impressed one.”  
Bonnie glanced at Kol out of the corner of her eye only to see he was gazing at her with heat in his eyes. It made her more than a little uncomfortable like he was trying to get inside of her head.  
She knew what Damon would say to that, she wasn’t used to guys flirting with her. Which might well be the case, she was used to taking a backseat to Caroline and Elena.  
Out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention and thankfully saved her from having to reply. Elena was in the process of entering the ballroom with a Salvatore brother on each arm. Bonnie gaped, caught between amusement and the urge to roll her eyes.  
What was going on with them? And why was Elena allowing herself to be caught between them like that?  
Kol followed her gaze and emitted a low chuckle. “She might be more like Katerina than Elijah gives her credit for.”  
Bonnie’s nostrils flared in anger. She might not approve, but Kol had absolutely no business badmouthing her best friend. “And what exactly would you know about Elena?”  
“Nothing more than what Elijah has told me. That she is a compassionate and a saintly paragon of virtue. That she is everything Katerina is not and should be,” the sarcasm of his tone was accentuated by his laughter. “Ah, those pesky doppelgangers wherever they go, drama invariably follows. Have you noticed?”  
Now his gaze was curious, his brows knit together as he studied her studiously.  
“I haven’t,” Bonnie sniffed. “As far as I can tell, the trouble always leads back to vampires.”  
Kol laughed and it was a happy open laugh that caught her off guard.  
“Quite right you are, love.”  
Bonnie saw Matt talking to Rebekah inside. Finally, a friendly face and one that looked as uncomfortable as she felt.  
“I see my friend. I should go.”  
Bonnie didn’t bother to look back as she walked away. However, she could still feel Kol’s eyes drilling holes into the back of her neck. It was an uncomfortable sensation that made the hairs at the nape of her neck stand on end.  
Matt greeted her with a smile and Rebekah sized up her outfit. Her smile warmed and she actually looked friendly.  
That must mean her outfit passed inspection. Bonnie looked down at her dress and was inclined to agree. It wasn’t a bold dress by any means the way Rebekah’s emerald green one was, but it was flattering and sophisticated.  
Bonnie had used her father’s credit card to buy it. Thanks to Rudy’s workaholic ways they were never strapped for cash and for once she decided to splurge. It was a navy ballgown with a sweetheart neckline and no straps. The bodice hugged her curves before it flared out at the waist.  
She had paired it with a pair of navy heels and white satin gloves that reached her elbow. Around her neck hung a pearl necklace with a blue stone at the center and she wore a pearl bracelet. Her hair hung down her back in ringlets, all of it except for her bangs pulled back by silver and pearl hair combs.  
“You look very elegant, Bonnie,” Rebekah said her eyes still friendly.  
Bonnie blinked at her wondering if she was just trying to impress Matt, but deciding to go with it all the same. “Thank you, so do you.”  
“You both look – wow,” Matt said with a self-deprecating laugh.  
“You clean up pretty good yourself, Donovan,” Bonnie told him with a wink.  
A waiter passed by and Bonnie took a champagne flute from the tray. He smiled and if she had been Caroline she might have believed there was something a little extra in his smile. But she was not Caroline so she thought she was imagining things.  
“I see you met my brother,” Rebekah said smiling toward Kol, who was now back in conversation with Mayor Lockwood.  
“Yeah, I did.”  
Bonnie looked between the two of them. Like Rebekah, Kol appeared young enough he could have easily blended in at their school, if he had been so inclined. Somehow though, seeing the darkness in his eyes as he caught her eye, she was relieved he wasn’t at school.  
Kol flashed her a crooked smile and raised his champagne flute in greeting. Hesitantly, Bonnie returned the gesture.  
Rebekah’s gaze turned knowing. “Careful with that one, Bon. He has a thing for witches.”  
“What kind of thing?” Bonnie asked with a raised eyebrow. A shiver ran down on her spine when she saw Kol was studying her from across the room. Mayor Lockwood was talking to him, but it did not look like he was listening. Judging by the bemused expression he wore, he was listening in on their conversation.  
“Now that I’m not telling you,” Rebekah replied evenly. Like her brother she was smirking at her.  
Great, the psycho siblings, Bonnie thought exchanging looks with Matt.  
XXX  
Kol continued to circle the room making polite small talk. The whole time, he made certain he had the little witch in his line of sight the whole time. She was breathtaking, and he could feel the power coming from her.  
More importantly, if his mother had invited her here personally, she was a part of whatever Esther was planning. The rest of them might trust their mother, but Kol did not. And judging by the tense expression Elijah wore, he didn’t either.  
Nik and Elijah announced it was time to open the ball with a dance. It was a rather more long-winded announcement than that, but he tuned them out. There was no doubt in his mind that it would be standard spiel they always gave at events such as this. Followed by a tune from one of the many years, in which Elijah and Nik had been thick as thieves.  
Correction, he thought with an amused twist of his lips when Elijah had been Nik’s lapdog.  
Knowing their announcement was nearing the end, he began to move toward the Bennett witch. As he drew closer, he could see that was truly beautiful. Over the years, he had discovered genuinely beautiful women were rare.  
Ones that had no idea how extraordinary they were, he had discovered were even rarer. Bonnie had no idea. That much was evident by the way she held herself as if she wanted to blend into the background. He wondered if she was trying to become invisible.  
Kol wasn’t about to let that happen.  
He crept up behind Bonnie and he could tell she was aware of his presence. Her back stiffened and her shoulders rose. She turned her head to the side. Not enough to see him, but he knew she was trying to keep an eye on him without showing it. He smirked.  
“May I have this dance?” he leaned down and whispered in her ear.  
Bonnie turned around and glared at him. Her emerald eyes were hard as stone. “I don’t think so.”  
“You have a date?” Kol raised an eyebrow.  
Her eyes hardened further.  
“I’ll take that as a no,” he replied with a cheery smile. “Allow me to offer my company in leu of whatever fool failed you this evening.”  
“I’m here to see your mother. Not for any other reason,” Bonnie said raising her chin. In her eyes there was barely concealed hatred.  
Kol thought maybe he was out of his mind like his siblings always accused him of, but he found that attractive. Over the centuries there were many that hated him, but few, who dared show it so openly. His smirk broadened as he realized Bonnie was powerful. It was a feeling he had, a finely tuned hunch that he had come to realize was a lingering remainder of his human years. He could always tell how powerful a witch or warlock was with some appraisal. And the little Bennett witch in front of him was more powerful than he had first assumed.  
“That’s not a no.”  
He could see the internal war going on behind her eyes before she sighed and agreed. A cheery smile parted his lips. Acting like the gentleman he most definitely was not, he held out the crook of his elbow for her to take.  
When she slipped her arm through his, his smile broadened.  
The first notes of a familiar tune made its way to them. This was ancient even by his family’s standards.  
“The last time I heard this song was back in the 14th century,” Kol whispered to Bonnie.  
She glanced up at him in surprise. “Right, you Mikaelsons are really old. I always forget.”  
“How is that possible?”  
“Because Klaus has the maturity of a blueberry scone,” she rolled her eyes.  
Kol chuckled. “You don’t like him, do you?”  
“Like him?” she snorted as he led her onto the dancefloor. “I’ve tried to kill him. More than once.”  
“Now that makes me like you,” he said. Excitement filled him at the mental image of Bonnie almost succeeding in killing Nik. What had started as an interest in a pretty face was starting to become something more. Damned vampire emotions, he would have to be careful to contain it. Otherwise, he might scare her off. Bonnie did not seem like the sort of girl, who was attracted to vampires. “Am I on your execution list?”  
Kol swept Bonnie into his arms and moved around the dancefloor. She looked at him in surprise. Perhaps she hadn’t thought he could dance? Then a pleasant expression settled over her features as if she was trying not to show how much she enjoyed dancing. But it was written across her face.  
“I haven’t decided yet,” Bonnie said after a moment’s pause. “Are you going to on any killing sprees?”  
Kol chuckled. “Perhaps one teeny little one?”  
As he suspected her gaze turned murderous. “Relax, little witch.”  
He pulled her closer. He was amazed, she felt perfect in his arms. She was small and had wonderful curves. He loved witches and Bennett’s were some of the most powerful ones in existence. He could smell the fragrance of her perfume, vanilla and something sweet. Underneath that he could smell her blood, it made his heart pound and he could feel his fangs begin to elongate. A moment of concentration was all he needed to regain control of himself.  
Almost flashing fangs like a baby vampire? What was he doing?  
He needed to get ahold of himself. He was not such a fool, he was going to come undone over one little witch. No matter how tempting she was in every regard.  
Luckily or perhaps irritatingly, it was time to change partners and his brother Finn swept Bonnie into his arms. Kol scarcely noticed his new partner, his eyes were trained on Bonnie and he was actively listening to her conversation with Finn.  
“I am Finn Mikaelson.”  
“I know, who you are,” Bonnie said in an irritated voice.  
Kol grinned. It sounded to him as if he had aggravated the witch and now his brother was paying the price.  
She was feisty.  
“Very well, straight to the chase then,” Finn said with trained ease.  
That made Kol smirk. Finn loathed rudeness.  
“It’s why I’m here,” Bonnie said.  
Kol noted that she spoke without apology. He rather liked her spirit.  
“Mother would like to speak with you alone.”  
The pair left the dancefloor. Kol waited a few seconds before leaving. He made his excuses to his dance partner and left her dazed on the floor. In a flash, he went after Finn and Bonnie.  
Kol followed them to his mother’s chambers. When Finn left, he hid inside a nearby room. He listened to make certain Finn was gone. Then he approached the double-doors of his mother’s chambers.  
He stood there straining his hearing until he realized there was no use. His mother, who was by all means, a capable witch had cast a spell. When they were alive, Esther had never been able to measure up to her mentor Ayanna. However, Kol was disappointed to learn, she still remembered her old spells. He had hoped she might not have come back with her magic, but of course if she was here to cause trouble like he suspected, then she would never have returned without it.  
But how had she done it?  
He was willing to bet his fortune Ayanna had a hand in this even from this other side.  
Making up his mind, he went to find Elijah about this bad feeling he had.  
XXX  
Bonnie followed Finn into stunning living quarters. The room was elegantly decorated in muted colors. Esther was seated on a leather couch. Like her children, she was attractive with a shoulder length sharp cut. She smiled pleasantly at Bonnie and she could have sworn she saw warmth in her eyes. It was a look another girl might have called maternal, but Bonnie couldn’t be sure. It did remind her of the looks her Grams used to give her and that was a depressing thought that Bonnie shook it off.  
“Please, have a seat,” Esther said. She nodded to Finn, who left.  
“Thanks for knocking me out,” Bonnie grumbled as the rubbed the back of her head.  
Esther grimaced. “I apologize for leaving in such a terrible manner however, I needed to reunite with my family in private.”  
“You know what else works? Telling us that. My mother and I would have understood.”  
“I wasn’t certain. I have a long history with your ancestor, Ayanna. She taught me everything I know about witchcraft.”  
Esther nodded to the sage that was burning on the table.  
“Spell?”  
“For privacy. As long as the sage burns, no one will be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.”  
“To be honest, I’m a little disappointed. We were hoping to –”  
“Find someone to help you kill Niklaus,” Esther cut in. “That’s why I am here. Ayanna magically preserved my body and thanks to your spell I am back to undo the harm I have unleashed upon the world.”  
Bonnie felt doubt fill her.  
“You mean you children? But you’re the one that turned them in the first place, why would you help destroy them?”  
“Because what I did to protect my children was shortsighted and wrong. They would have been better off if I allowed them to live and die as humans, but I was blinded by grief. Now I must set it right.”  
“But why now?”  
“You found my body and I saw an opportunity.”  
“Uh-huh,” Bonnie eyed her suspiciously.  
“I can see that you don’t trust me,” Esther pursed her lips and studied her before sighing. “My punishment on the other side was to feel the torment my children inflicted on others for over a thousand years. Believe me when I say they must be stopped.”  
Bonnie watched her for a while. She tried to get a sense of Esther’s intentions.  
Finally, she spoke. “I believe you.”  
“Good. I am channeling the power of the Bennett line. Together, we will kill my children. Can I count on you?”  
Bonnie stared back at her in surprise. She had expected Klaus’s death, but Esther wanted to murder all of her children?


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 

*Disclaimer: I don’t own TVD* 

 

Bonnie stared at Esther. The older woman was completely serious. 

“You want to kill them? They are your kids!” 

A sick feeling overcame her. She agreed the Mikaelsons were horrible, but Esther was talking about murdering her children. Her own flesh and blood. There was something so indescribably wrong about it that it completely turned Bonnie’s stomach. 

“I am aware,” Esther’s face revealed pain, but she did her best to tamp down on it. The outcome was a coldly determined expression. “They are my children and that makes me responsible for their actions, especially when I am the one that turned them into monsters.” 

“I think I get it,” Bonnie said and she was unable to keep the uncertainty from her voice. 

“I am only asking you as a courtesy. Whether you like it or not I am channeling your family line in this magic.” 

“Okay,” Bonnie nodded. The desire to be rid of Klaus and protect Elena overrode any moral qualms she had. “What’s the plan?” 

“With some help from your doppelganger friend, I will link all of my children as one during the champagne toast. Then on the full moon, my brave Finn will sacrifice himself. Once he is dead, they will die as well.” 

Now Bonnie was shocked to her core. “Finn is onboard with this?” 

“Of course, he is. My Finn has never grown complacent with his existence the way my other children have.” 

“This is unbelievable, but if it will protect my friends, I’ll help you.” 

“Thank you. Now please, rejoin the party and if Elijah asks you anything, we were simply discussing our mutual family history.” 

“Right.” 

A shudder ran down her spine at the way Esther’s cold, assessing eyes appraised her. 

Feeling as if her spine was trying to dislocate itself from the rest of her body, Bonnie stood. She said goodbye to Esther and walked down to the rejoin the party. Unfortunately, she did not make it there. 

An arm shot out of a room and pulled her inside. Bonnie didn’t even have time to scream before she saw it was Kol. He had pulled her into a study. She fixed her expression into a glower. 

“What do you want?” 

“I apologize on behalf of my brother,” a cool, composed voice said. 

Bonnie looked past Kol to see Elijah. That was a relief because that probably meant Kol wasn’t going to try to kill her, but bad because Elijah was probably suspicious of Esther. 

With good reason, a snarky little voice at the back of her mind, whispered. 

“Great, now what do you want?” Bonnie said letting her irritation creep into her voice. 

“We want to know what dear old mum is up to, naturally,” Kol said with a sinister smile. 

“How should I know? We talked about our family history,” Bonnie said and to her amazement, her voice didn’t tremble. 

“Is that so?” something dark and wicked flashed in Kol’s eyes. He leaned in and instinctively, she backed up against the wall. Next thing she knew, he had her pressed against it. He ran his nose along her neck. 

“Stop that,” Bonnie hissed as her cheeks burned. 

“Tell me what you know, little witch. I can always spot a lie.” 

Somewhere as if through a hazy cloud, she heard Elijah say; “That’s enough, brother.” 

Kol growled and ignored him. 

Kol moved closer. She could feel the warmth of his body and his hard, taught muscles. She could feel the electric tingle of power emanating from him that was vampire and ancient. This was stronger than most of the vampires she had encountered except for the rest of the Mikaelsons. It knocked her off her game. 

But only for a second. She got herself together and felt her magic course through her. She closed her eyes and Kol was hit by an aneurism. He groaned and clutched his head, but did not move away. 

Elijah grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Bonnie exhaled and released Kol from the spell. With a smile, she realized she could hold the spell longer now that she was channeling the spirits instead of nature. 

Kol growled and the look he sent her promised retribution. It made the hairs at the nape of her neck stand on end. 

“Once again, I apologize on behalf of my brother.” 

“Whatever, Elijah. Just keep him away from me,” Bonnie crossed her arms and glowered at them. 

Elijah looked contrite, but Kol watched her with a smirk. 

“I will however, I implore you to stop and think about your actions. Our mother proved over a millennia ago she is not to be trusted. If she has attempted to enlist you in something, you may want to rethink. She is as likely to turn on you as she is to turn on us.” 

“Yes, I assume that’s where you get it from,” Bonnie’s glower deepened. 

“That was…rash of me, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for any pain that has been inflicted upon you since that night.” 

That made Bonnie see red. Pain? Elijah was sorry for any pain that had been inflicted on her? 

“Well that’s just makes everything alright, doesn’t it?” 

Elijah cleared his throat and straightened his tie. 

“Pity we can’t compel witches,” Kol said eyeing her darkly. “But rest assured, I’ll still work out whatever it is you and mother are up to.” 

Putting on a brave face, Bonnie rolled her eyes. She left in a huff. 

XXX 

Kol watched Bonnie go with a strange mixture of fury and arousal. She was something. He could have stood there watching her like a fool all night long except he felt Elijah’s eyes boring holes into the back of his neck. 

“Yes, brother?” Kol said keeping his tone of voice light and amused. 

“Stay away from the Bennett witch. She has had enough hardship and no doubt mother’s latest scheme will only bring her more trouble.” 

Kol was surprised at the softness in Elijah’s voice. 

“You know if I didn’t know any better, I would say you care for the witch.” 

Elijah sighed. “I’m serious. We will deal with mother, but for the sake of Ayanna’s memory, what do you say we try to keep her descendant out of this latest family drama?” 

Kol turned around to study Elijah, who was watching Bonnie go with a pained expression. Excitement lit up his face as he realized what was going on. 

“You feel guilty for almost killing her in the fight against Nik and then abandoning her. Leaving her and her insipid friends at the mercy of Nik’s insane whims now that he is all powerful.” 

“Yes. It was not my finest moment.” 

“I’ll say. The noble brother indeed,” Kol snorted and rolled his eyes. 

Whistling, he set out to find Rebekah. He wanted to know what she was doing on a date with a commoner. One that appeared by all measures to be nice of all things. 

Rebekah was pacing the outskirts of the dancefloor as Bonnie danced with some peasant. Blonde hair, completely bland, yes, that was Rebekah’s date. 

“What’s going on with and that commoner? You used to have taste, Bekah,” Kol clucked his tongue. 

“Do shut up, Kol or I’ll knock your teeth out,” Rebekah tossed her hair. Kol instantly recognized it as a practiced move, one that made her hair catch the light. “Besides, he’s not just my date.” 

“Oh?” 

“I can’t kill him because of mother’s rules, but I was hoping you might.” 

“Perhaps, but why him? He seems perfectly boring and in my experience that rarely inspires the urge to kill. Unless you are bored yourself, sister.” 

“No, Matt is fine. It’s not about him. I can’t get into trouble with mother and I was hoping you would help your baby sister out.” 

“Fine by me,” Kol agreed with a wicked smile. “Just tell me when and where.” 

“I’ll lure him outside and leave him by himself, when I do, you kill him.” 

“A tad unimaginative, but anything for you.” 

“Thank you. You’ve always been my favorite brother.” 

“Liar,” Kol flashed her another smile before going to lie in wait for her and the peasant. 

XXX 

Kol hid in the woods. He watched the manor. The rare couple would stumble out for a moment of privacy before discovering it was too cold out for human trysts and go back inside. Not that the frost in the air bothered him, he could feel that the air was chilly, but it had no impact on him whatsoever. He supposed it was something like it must be for humans to stand near an open window. 

Just as he was growing restless and began to pace around the nearby area, he heard Rebekah and her date approach. Just the thought of Rebekah dating that inconsequential human made him snort with laughter. 

The boy was talking about his car and vampires compelling them or something. Kol crept nearer the edge of the woods and saw that the boy should indeed be ashamed. What sort of man drove that beat up old piece of junk? He was definitely not Rebekah’s type. She loved to spend money, loads of it. Had for as long as he could remember. 

Then he did something peculiar. He offered Rebekah his jacket. 

Fool, didn’t he know vampires did not get cold? 

Kol had caught enough of his conversations throughout the night to know he knew about the supernatural. 

Then something worse happened, Rebekah’s expression grew worried and she rushed him inside. 

Growling with irritation, Kol gave chase. He caught up to Rebekah in the reception hall. She lingered. No doubt, she knew he would be coming after her. 

“Really, sister? I wait for you and you decide to spare one measly human all because he was nice to you?” 

“He’s a good guy, I can’t go through with it.” 

“Why? Are you truly so starved for affection that you are willing to take his measly crumbs of kindness? That’s pitiful and I had thought after a millennia you should be past it, sister.” 

“You don’t understand anything, Kol.” 

“Come now, it’s one commoner. I’ll even find you a new one. Let’s kill him together right now. Make a real spectacle of it.” 

“No and you stay away from him.” 

With that Rebekah strode off in a huff. 

XXX 

Bonnie and Elena discussed the plan with Esther under their breath. They stood on the outskirts of the dancefloor. Each of them held a champagne flute and they did their best to act as if they were whispering about boys. Still, a small voice at the back of her mind was telling her they weren’t pulling it off. 

“Esther just needs your blood?” 

“Yeah, then she’ll bind them and you and Abby will meet her on the full moon.” 

“And that’s it,” Bonnie said as her heart rate accelerated. 

It all seemed to easy. A little blood in the champagne toast and one quick spell and poof no more Original vampires? 

No way, it was too simple. 

After the past two years in Mystic Falls there were two things Bonnie had learned. The first was that things never went to plan. The second was that even when things worked out they were never easy. 

But if Esther wanted to make this play, that was fine. She would talk to Damon and Caroline. Together, they would come up with a good plan to make certain Esther’s plan worked. Stefan would probably help if Damon could wrangle him into cooperating. 

Elena waved at Stefan, a little flutter of her fingers as he swept past with Mayor Lockwood. Meanwhile, Bonnie saw to her surprise Caroline was dancing with Klaus. Klaus obviously looked thrilled. The thing that shocked Bonnie was how Caroline looked like she was actually enjoying herself. 

“Do you see that?” Bonnie said nodding toward Caroline. 

“Barf,” Elena said grimacing. 

A prickling sensation ran down Bonnie’s spine. She turned to see, who was the cause of it and when she did, she discovered Kol. He was approaching from the other side of the ballroom. His eyes even at a distance blazed with determination. 

That did not bode well. 

Fear mounting, Bonnie turned on her heel and hurried away. 

She made it as far as the exit toward what looked like an expansive library at the far end of the ballroom before he caught up to her. Kol put his hand lightly on her arm and spun her around to face him. 

“Where are you off to in such a rush, Cinderella?” his dark eyes danced with amusement and darker, more wicked things. 

“Away from you!” Bonnie hissed under her breath. She turned her face up to meet his intense stare. “Let go of me.” 

Kol’s lips turned up in a smile. Irritatingly, she realized he found her amusing. 

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” his voice was light and teasing. 

“Have I told you, I don’t care what you think? And what do you even want, you psycho?” 

“I want to ask you to dance with me.” 

“And you need the steel grip on my arm to do that, why?” 

“Because I am certain if I let go, you will bolt off in the opposite direction as fast as those witchy, little legs of yours will go.” 

“Uh-huh, so take a hint and leave me alone.” 

Kol’s smile if possible broadened even further. 

Bonnie was just thinking about giving him another aneurism when the sound of silverware against a champagne glass cut through the noise of the music and people. Ignoring his grip on her arm, Bonnie started walking back into the ballroom. 

The toast could not have come at a better time. 

Kol tucked her arm properly through his and started escorting her toward the grand staircase. Bonnie tried to pull her arm away, but Kol’s grip on her arm was vicelike. What at a distance looked like a casual, maybe even kind. His touch was deceptive. 

“Tell me what my mother is planning, little witch.” 

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?” Bonnie replied batting her lashes at him and smiling in a falsely sweet way. 

“Because my mother is a dirty little liar,” he replied in smooth tones. 

“Well then I guess you know as much as I do.”   
“If she was plotting to say, I don’t murder us all, you would tell us?” 

“Thought Original vampires couldn’t be killed.” 

“Don’t play stupid with me, Bonnie. We both know you aren’t. Just as we both know my brother told you and your little group of miscreants how we came to be vampires.” 

“Fine, your mother turned you using some kind of freaky doppelganger magic. That doesn’t mean she knows how to undo it. That’s some pretty potent magic.” 

“Well since I don’t get that dance, the least you can do is give me an honest answer, little witch.” 

Bonnie glared up at him as they came to a stop in front of the grand staircase. 

“I have told you everything, I can’t help it if that’s nothing,” Bonnie said in a whisper. 

Their arrival garnered a few curious looks. Mostly from Elijah and Caroline as well as Elena. Which Bonnie thought was rich because Klaus had his hand on Caroline’s lower back and Elena was literally standing in the middle of Damon and Stefan. At a glance, Bonnie couldn’t even tell, which brother she preferred anymore. Then upon closer inspection she was sickened to see, Elena was leaning towards Damon. She had her arm tucked through his and Damon was staring down at her even though Elena wasn’t looking at him, she was talking to Stefan. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Esther stepped forward to the railing. “Welcome to our family home. And thank you for welcoming us into your town. I hope in time we can become a part of your community.” 

There was a smattering of polite applause. Mayor Lockwood had such a stiff smile plastered on her face that Bonnie was sure her cheeks had to hurt. 

Kol leaned down to whisper in her ear. He had a wicked smile on his lips as if he were whispering sweet secrets or something completely inappropriate, but by now she was starting to work out his game. He was unpredictable, he went from flirting to interrogating. He was impulsive like Klaus, but if she had to guess, he was less power hungry. 

“Do you buy my mother’s little speech about peace?” 

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “You are insanely paranoid. Has anyone ever told you that before?” 

“Actually, over the years I’ve found people rarely criticize me. I do believe that means I am as near perfect as anyone gets.” 

“Maybe it’s fear?” 

Esther said something about a toast and waiters coming around with champagne. That returned Bonnie’s attention to her. Kol seeing her interest, looked between her and Esther. His eyes narrowed into slits. 

Kol switched gears again, his smirk turned flirtatious. “Now that most definitely speaks highly of me.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. 

The waiter came over and Bonnie was about to reach for a glass of champagne when Kol beat her to it. He took two glasses of champagne and passed one to her. She smiled tightly in thanks. 

Esther was talking, but Bonnie didn’t hear what she was saying. This was the first step in killing the Originals. It shouldn’t bother Bonnie, she hated all of them. Even Kol, who sometimes was nice sent a cold chill down her spine just earlier. But Esther was their mother and Bonnie might not be an expert in mothers, still thanks to her Grams she had some idea. Enough of an idea that she knew it meant or was supposed to mean unconditional love. 

So she listened to Esther talk while fog settled over her mind. 

“Cheers!” 

Bonnie raised her glass with the others. Because she could feel Kol’s eyes on her, she took a sip. It was not what she wanted to do though because Elena’s blood was in it, but with Kol there she had no other choice. 

The champagne tasted bubbly and fresh. Not anything at all like blood. That was a relief and she sighed as she lowered her glass. 

Kol was watching her through narrowed eyes, but she had seen him take a sip. One small win there. 

Sort of. 

Bonnie wasn’t certain that counted as a win because she felt like the bad guy. 

XXX 

By the time his mother’s phony toast was over, Kol was in a furious mood. The sort of angry that quickly turned lethal. To make matters worse, Bonnie had refused to tell him anything and she had disappeared. 

How had she managed that? 

Right, because Finn came over to talk. Finn talking? The idea was almost laughable yet here he was reminiscing about when they were children together. That made him more suspicious, no doubt whatever their mother was planning he was in on. 

“Remember that time we went to the lake?” Finn asked with animated eyes. “We all snuck out even Henrik and went swimming.” 

Kol did remember. For a brief moment, he was tempted to smile then stifled it. 

“That was a long time ago. We aren’t children anymore, brother.” 

“I know. Sometimes, I forget how long ago it really was.” 

“That’s what happens when Nik locks us up in boxes whenever he feels like it.” 

Feeling bitter, Kol had a sip of his champagne. He really needed something stronger. 

“We weren’t always like this. Remember that, little brother.” 

With that Finn walked away. Kol stared at him with a gnawing sense of unease. Something was going to happen. 

Just as Kol was looking for something to take his mind off it that useless human Rebekah had lured here caught his eye. He wandered away from Rebekah, who was laughing with Elijah. It sounded like the human boy was looking for another girl. 

Well that sealed his fate. 

Kol itching to kill someone followed him. 

The boy, stopped on the terrace to talk to Bonnie of all people. 

His Bonnie. 

What the hell was going on? 

“Matt listen to me, I need you to talk to Damon. This is going to get hairy,” Bonnie said in a low whisper. Her face was pinched and Matt looked pained as he reached for her wrist. 

So Bonnie was conspiring against them. His suspicions had been correct all along and to make matters worse it looked like they might be more than friends. Betrayal he could deal with, he wasn’t Nik, but sharing? That was not his cup of tea. 

“Pray tell exactly what do you need to talk to the baby vampire about? And what is going to get hairy?” Kol growled. 

They both jumped. Bonnie stared at him with wide eyes and Mutt looked at him sideways. 

“I should go get Rebekah.” 

“Not so fast, Mutt,” Kol flashed in front of him. 

Bonnie tried to pull Mutt back, but he wouldn’t budge. Instead, she settled for staring at him with hard eyes. 

“What the hell do you want now, Kol?” 

Kol smirked. He had no real idea what he wanted. Except to find out what his evil mother was plotting and he wanted Bonnie to stop lying to him. If she dropped this pretense of innocence it would make everything between them so much easier. But of course, she had labelled him as the bad guy. He could see it in her eyes. 

What he did next was probably an overreaction, but he was losing his mind. 

XXX 

Bonnie was a little annoyed with Matt and at the same time she understood. If she wasn’t a witch being cornered by an Original vampire would send her running too. Kol was staring at them with black eyes that had gone as hard as stone. 

“So I don’t know about you, Mutt, but I am over this little game of secrets. I’m especially over my sister’s high school drama,” Kol’s smile changed to the point where it sent a chill down her spine. “Oh, Kol I want revenge on the mean girls from school, won’t you please help me kill my date? If I do it I’ll be in trouble with mother,” he imitated a high girlish voice. 

“Excuse me?” Bonnie demanded. She elbowed her way past Matt to glower at him. 

Damn, Kol was tall. Really, tall. How had she not noticed before? 

Right, because he hadn’t looked at her like he was about to murder someone. Not even in the library earlier. 

Stupid Original vampires. 

Esther was right, they all needed to go. 

“Run along, little witch. This doesn’t concern you,” Kol said never taking his eyes off Matt. 

“Doesn’t it? Matt is my friend and if you try to hurt him, I’m going to hurt you back.” 

“Bon, you might want to get out of here.” 

“And get who?” Bonnie said angrily. “Damon? Stefan? You think either of them have a chance in hell against Kol? Don’t be stupid.” 

“Listen to him, Bon. I hold witches in high esteem and I’d rather not hurt you however, I will if you don’t walk away.” 

“You walk away because I can’t.” 

Kol cocked his head to the side to study her. “Peculiar. It’s as if you didn’t hear a word of my thinly veiled threat.” 

“Just walk away. I have spirit magic and you do not want to mess with me tonight. I almost killed your brother.” 

“I’m not Nik,” Kol replied with an unimpressed expression. “Sorry.” 

Before Bonnie knew what hit her, she was soaring through the air. She hit the stone floor with a thud. The air exploded from her lungs and she rolled onto her side, coughing and sputtering in pain. 

Matt’s cries of pain pierced the air. Bonnie looked up in time to see Kol’s hand around his wrist and his other hand around his neck. 

“Stop!” Bonnie meant to shout the words, but it came out in a raspy whisper. 

She squinted her eyes and tried to summon her magic to set Kol on fire. 

“Sorry, darling. It’s nothing personal. It’s just you irritate me, you understand, don’t you?” Kol said in a psychotic voice. 

Bonnie was halfway to standing when Damon flashed into the room. He grabbed Kol by the shoulders and tossed him aside. 

Matt clutched his wrist and swayed on his feet. In a flash, Bonnie forgot her pain. She was back on her feet and running towards him. She met him halfway and pushed him towards the staircase. 

“Find Caroline or Stefan and get out of here!” 

Matt stared at her and she gave him a shove. He stumbled, but did not budge. 

Damon was trying to outrun Kol, but it wasn’t working. One moment, he was dodging the Original and in the next, Damon was dangling in the air. Kol held him in one hand and threw him out of the window. Bonnie hurried to the window in time to see he had landed on his neck on the cement ground right by the main entrance. People screamed and ran away. 

Kol was striding toward Matt. 

“Now where were, Mutt?” 

“Back off!” Bonnie shouted. 

With her words, her magic came rushing out of her. It wasn’t a conscious thought or a decision, one second Kol was standing there and in the next, he was soaring through the air. He hit the wall, it cracked around the floor. He slid to his feet before standing back up. A wicked smile graced his lips and his brown hair was unruly. 

Not thinking, Bonnie took a step back. 

“I warned you not to get on my bad side, little witch.” 

Kol ran at her at full vampire speed. She blinked and he was in front of her. His smile was dark and sardonic. He picked her up and tossed her across the room. She felt her head hit the wall and groaned. 

In a flash, Kol was in front of her again. This time, he was kneeling in front of her on the floor. It took her a moment to process, why. Then it hit her, she was on the floor too. 

Furiously, she didn’t even think. She just started chanting. It was a spell she had read and memorized in one of her Grams’ old grimoires last week. She wasn’t even sure she could pull it off, but she was angry enough to risk it. 

The spell was meant to make poison run through a person’s veins. She wasn’t certain it would work the same on a vampire, but she was willing to bet it was painful. 

Within seconds black veins began to appear long Kol’s skin. 

“Stop the spell!” 

Bonnie ignored him and kept chanting. Kol reached out and grabbed her hair by the nape of her neck. He tugged and her neck fell back. In an instant, he had torn the necklace she was wearing away. The pearls scattered around the marble floor. He bared his vampire fangs at her and she gasped. 

The spell faltered and after a deep breath, she went back to chanting. Kol hesitated and groaned in pain. 

Finn appeared behind him just as Kol was about to sink his teeth into her throat. He reached out and snapped Kol’s neck. 

Bonnie scrambled back and clutched her arms around her knees. She dropped the spell and her breath came out in ragged puffs. Kol was lying at her feet, he looked dead. Matt ran over and fell to his knees next to her. He clutched his wrist, held it tight to his chest. 

“Matt,” Bonnie sighed. “Are you okay?” 

Matt shook his head. “Your brother is a psycho.” 

“I apologize on his behalf,” Finn said clearing his throat awkwardly. “If you like, I can heal your wrist.” 

“No, thank you. I’d rather go to the emergency room than risk turning.” 

“That only happens if you die,” Bonnie told him. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Take his blood. His family just tried to kill us, it’s quite literally the least he can do.” 

“Untrue, I could have walked away,” Finn replied with grim eyes. “However, unlike the rest of my siblings, I have spent a millennia fighting to maintain my better nature.” 

Matt eyed Bonnie skeptically. “Now that sounds too much like Elijah for my liking. Let’s get out of here.” 

Finn glanced at Kol’s crumpled form. “Yes, it’s no doubt wise to be gone before Kol wakes. He won’t be unconscious for long.” 

“Thanks for the rescue, Finn,” Bonnie said with a shaky smile. 

“Any time. Though I must say, I am impressed by how you handled Kol. Not many that can say they lasted more than a few minutes against him.” 

“Creepy,” Bonnie muttered. “But thanks. I’ll see you around. Come on, Matt. Let’s get you to the emergency room.” 

“My car’s parked out back.” 

“Oh, and one more thing,” Bonnie turned around to look at Finn. “Keep Rebekah from trying to murder Matt again. With or without Kol’s help.” 

Finn’s expression grew stormy. “The two of them, like naughty children. I’ll speak with mother, she will get them in line.” 

“Thank you for everything, Finn.” 

His lips tugged up at the corners and he nodded gravelly in return. 

Bonnie tucked her arm through Matt’s as they walked to his car. He leaned against her and his face was scrunched up in pain. 

“I think it’s broken.” 

“Oh, Matt,” she sighed. “I am so sorry I couldn’t stop him.” 

“You stopped him from killing me. Well you and Damon. Do you think we should get him out of here too?” 

Just then they reached the main entrance. Damon was back on his feet and was shouting furiously at Elijah. 

“Tell that lunatic to get a grip!” 

“Damon, don’t. It isn’t Elijah’s fault,” Elena said pulling on his arm. 

“You two might want to get out of here before Kol wakes up,” Bonnie said as they passed them. 

Damon turned his head and made crazy eyes at her. 

Ugh, Bonnie was so sick of that. Didn’t he have any other expressions? 

Oh, wait he had the one where he made heart eyes at Elena, which was disgusting. 

“Hey, you want me to heal that?” Damon asked nodding to Matt’s hand. 

Matt looked at him in disgust and shook his head. 

The car wasn’t far away, but it felt like an eternity. Her shoes didn’t help. The heels kept sinking into the grass. By the time they stumbled to the car, she had to fish his keys out of his coat pocket. Then she helped him in, hopped in to the passenger seat and slipped her shoes off. 

A bad feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. At the same time a cold finger ran down her spine and she had this overwhelming sense of urgency. They were running out of time. 

The ignition roared to life and Bonnie sped off like their lives depended on it. 

XXX 

Kol woke with a stiff neck. He cracked it to the side. Finn was leaning against the wall. 

“Brother ,what the bloody hell did you do that for?” 

“Tattletale,” Rebekah said, who was sulking in the corner. 

If Kol had to guess, he assumed Finn had dragged her here against her will. 

“I didn’t tell him anything. It must have been the Bennett witch and her lapdog.” 

“He was my date,” Rebekah huffed and crossed her arms. 

“Sister dear, you wanted him dead. It’s not my fault you can’t make up your mind.” 

“Kol, this absurd and mother wishes to speak to you both regarding this issue.” 

“Does she know? Well you can tell her I don’t want to discuss it. I’m not a child and I won’t be treated like one.” 

Kol disappeared in a flash. He could hear that boy and Bonnie talking in the distance. With a quick run, he was outside in time to the see the taillights of the truck leaving. He contemplated going after them and ultimately decided against it. 

XXX 

To Bonnie’s relief and Matt’s they didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes at the emergency room. Matt went into the examination room, but not before telling her he didn’t have health insurance when she sat down to fill out his form. 

Most of the basic information, she already knew by heart. Still, it was unpleasant. Especially, knowing he didn’t have healthcare. Vampires and other insanity, she could deal with, but this was adult stuff. 

She called her dad and he said he would be right there. 

It felt like forever before Rudy arrived. It only took a minute to fill her dad in on the vampire drama and that Matt didn’t have insurance. 

“Sometimes, I think his mother ought to be in jail. I’ll pay for it.” 

“Thanks, dad.” 

Matt came out of the examination room. Her dad went to pay the bill and she went over to Matt. 

“How are you doing?” 

“Been better, but it’s just a sprain.” 

“That’s good, right?” 

“I guess. I’m so sick of freaking vampires, you know?” 

“I so know.” 

Bonnie gave him a hug. 

“That’s taken care of,” Rudy said joining them. “I handled it, Matt. Now let’s get you home.” 

“Mr. Hopkins – I –” Matt looked completely stunned. 

“Anything to keep you kids out of more vampire trouble. Just stay away from them from now on.” 

“Now that I agree on wholeheartedly, but hell I’m just glad Bonnie was there. I guess I owe both of you now. Thank you.” 

“It’s a parent thing, Matt,” Rudy said with a shrug. “And Bonnie for the love of God stay out of anymore vampire nonsense. Before it kills you.” 

“I know, dad, but as the resident witch I kind of have to make sure the Original vampires aren’t out killing all of the neighbors.”   
“Nope, no way. That is not happening,” Rudy replied with a stern look. 

“With all due respect Mr. Hopkins if Bonnie wasn’t there tonight, I’d be dead. Actually, if Bonnie wasn’t the kickass hero type, a whole lot of people would be dead by now.” 

Rudy stared at her in shock. 

“It’s what I do.” 

Bonnie crossed her arms. She was not comfortable with all the attention on her and she didn’t like Matt’s praise. She wasn’t a hero, she just wanted to help her friends. Not a whole lot else mattered to her. 

“Look, it’s late. We can talk about this in the morning,” Rudy said after a long pause. 

His unlined face showed marks of weariness for the first time, Bonnie could remember. Suddenly, she felt bad for herself, Matt and her dad. 

“Yeah, let’s just go home.” 

XXX 

Bonnie took a long shower when she got home. She soaked in the hot water, letting it wash away all of the crap of the night. 

Elena and her vampire drama. 

Kol and all his craziness. 

Esther and her homicidal tendencies. 

By the time she stepped out into her bedroom in a fresh pair of PJ’s, she felt clean. Almost healed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this good. 

Of course, something had to happen to ruin that. Her bedroom window was open, which was not how she had left it. Then a black box caught her eye. 

Bonnie approached it cautiously, she was ready to strike out with her magic at any second. Just in case, whoever had left it there was still lurking. 

When she got closer, she saw it was a black velvet jewelry box with a manila envelope underneath. With shaky hands she opened the case. Inside, was a beautiful pearl necklace. It was similar to the one she had worn to the party tonight, but not quite the same. In the middle of the pearls, there was a large square emerald stone. The string of pearls was layered with three rows of them. It looked heavy and it was breathtaking. 

Less nervous and more curious, she opened the envelope. She had a sneaky suspicion, who it was from already, she read the note. 

 

Dear Bonnie, 

I apologize for my behavior earlier this evening. I hope you will accept this gift as a replacement for the one I destroyed. It’s almost as beautiful as you. You may not believe me however, I did enjoy your company a great deal and would like to see you again. Assuming you are willing to give me a second chance? Whatever you may think of me, do not trust my mother. She is bad news, and I should know. 

I’m the original bad boy. 

 

That actually made her laugh. The original bad boy? Seriously, who did this guy think he was? Then Bonnie got to the last part of the note. 

 

Yours, 

Kol Mikaelson. 

 

Yours? Yours? 

Groaning, Bonnie curled up the note and tossed it in the trash can. 

“If you’re creeping around the way vamps like to do Kol then I want you to hear me now, stay the hell away from me.” 

Bonnie slammed the window shut. she put the case with the necklace down on her dresser, she was keeping it only because he had ruined her real one. 

A shadow moved along the street. She caught a glimpse from her window. Suspicion flaring up inside of her, she saw that it was Kol walking away from her house. 

Good, now he might leave her alone and then she wouldn’t have to deal with his insanity anymore. If she could just hang in there for a few more days, all of this Original drama would be over with one way or another in a few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading :) I update on Tuesdays (usually every other Tuesday). From now I'll update Timeless both on Ao3 and FF.net on Tuesdays. So the rest of the fic should be up by the end of the day.   
> \- Izzy


	3. Chapter 3

When Kol returned to the mansion the next morning he felt better. Bonnie had told him to stay away last night, which had been disappointing. What made it worse was that she hadn’t even been sure he was around, she just felt the need to say it on the off chance he was nearby. But killing a few humans cheered him up. He’d even found a girl that look just enough like Bonnie to numb the worst of her rejection. Bedding her had been a pleasant surprise, but it had not been enough. He wanted the real deal and she wanted nothing to do with him. 

Not to say, he didn’t understand. A fight to the death was a turn off for most women. 

He settled down in one of the hundred common rooms. Nik was sketching and Elijah was reading a book. 

“Late night?” Nik asked without taking his eyes off whatever he was sketching. 

When they were children, Kol used to follow him around just to catch a glimpse of his work, but they weren’t children anymore and he no longer cared about Nik’s art. 

“Yes, it was a blast.” 

He felt his blood rush just at the thought of last night’s spree. 

“It was a complete snoozefest around here after you mangled the vibe.” 

“It was dull long before I did anything.” 

“Excellent point,” Nik agreed flashing a smile. 

Rebekah sauntered in still wearing her ballgown from the night before. Her hair was a mess and she had her shoes in his hand. The sight made him smile. 

“Out all night, my what a scandal.” 

Kol grinned in amusement. 

“Shut up, Kol,” Rebekah groaned and mussed up her hair further. 

“Our sister might be a strumpet, but at least she’s having fun.” 

“Shut up, Kol or the next thing out of your mouth will be your teeth,” Rebekah hissed and threw a shoe at him. 

Kol flashed a teasing grimace. 

“I’m bored, I need entertainment,” he turned around in his seat to look at Elijah. “Come out with me, Elijah.” 

“No thank you,” came the curt reply. 

“Nik?” Kol asked using a sad expression that usually one out with his brothers. 

“Why not? I could use a drink.” 

They got up to leave. 

“Good! Just go! This house has too many men rolling around in it anyway!” 

“Just like you, Bekah!” 

Kol turned around to point at her. She screamed and threw her shoe at him. He ducked and left laughing with Nik. 

XXX 

Bonnie tapped her foot impatiently. Damon and Stefan had been bickering for almost an hour. Elena had long since given up on trying to stop them, instead, she had joined the chaos. Bonnie exchanged an exasperated look with Caroline, who rolled her eyes. 

“Listen to him, Damon. This is what needs to happen,” Elena said in a whiny voice. 

Bonnie looked at Elena, really looked at her. When had this happened? When did this connection with Damon start and why did anything he said carry weight with her? Didn’t she remember what he had done to Caroline? 

Bonnie was willing to work with Damon, but unlike Elena she was unable to forget he was a monster. Just like the Originals. 

“I’m not saying it doesn’t need to happen, I just don’t see why we have to be involved,” Damon said widening his eyes into one of his crazy eye things. He waved his arm and naturally at the end of there was a glass of bourbon. 

Drunk, Bonnie thought disdainfully. 

“It’s a good plan,” Stefan said. “Caroline distracts Klaus and the others will never see it coming.” 

Oh boy, was he ever wrong about that. 

Caroline caught Bonnie’s eye and threw her a skeptical look out of the corner of her eye. 

“Not if it puts us in danger, which is what it will do,” Damon said. 

“You mean me. And it’s not my neck on the line,” Elena said crossing her arms. 

“Yeah, it’s mine,” Caroline agreed. She crossed her arms too and tossed her hair as she gave Damon and angry look. 

“It’s not you I’m concerned about, blondie,” Damon replied with wide eyes and an expression of complete exasperation. 

“Yeah, well maybe you should be!” Bonnie said getting to her feet. She was fed up. “And maybe you should be concerned about Elijah and Kol too because they are suspicious. Kol and Elijah cornered me last night to interrogate me. And oh yeah, when Kol was trying to kill Matt and me last night, it was because Kol is suspicious!” 

“What?” Stefan said with what was almost an expression. “Why haven’t you said anything sooner.” 

“Because you two are arguing instead of planning.” 

“Uh-huh,” Caroline agreed with another lethal stare. 

“So we throw something pretty at the crazy brother too,” Damon said. “Or decent looking,” he added with another weird look at Bonnie. 

“Who me?” Bonnie pointed to her own chest. “He almost killed me!” 

Then he gave me jewelry with some stupid apology, Bonnie added as an afterthought to herself. No way was she telling them that. 

“Damon, no,” Elena said, but Bonnie noted there wasn’t a lot of conviction in her voice. 

“Fine,” Caroline said. “Then Elena can distract Elijah because he obviously has some kind of thing for Katherine, which let’s face it doppelganger fever makes boys dumb.” 

“Excuse me?” Elena gasped. “I am not some Katherine replacement.” 

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Sure you are,” Stefan said. “Just ask my brother why he’s so into this little romance with you.” 

“Gross,” Caroline wrinkled her nose. 

Bonnie threw her arms into the air. “Can we get back on topic? We need the Originals distracted for this spell to work.” 

“Or we let Mama Original handle her family business,” Damon suggested. 

“And the witches,” Bonnie said sardonically. 

The rest of the group agreed. 

Of course, Bonnie was the only one that didn’t get to sit this one out. Her and well Abby, not that she wanted to see her mother. She supposed she didn’t have to go, but it felt wrong to stay at home. Her family line was invested in this and it was her responsibility to see it through. 

Not that it seemed anyone was interested in giving her a choice or concerned she might die. But that was stupid, Caroline and Elena cared. They had been best friends for years, they were just so used to Bonnie being able to take care of herself they didn’t worry the same about her. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, but it was a role Elena and Caroline frequently played. 

“Where’s Matt anyway?” Elena asked. 

“Staying out of vampire drama,” Bonnie said. “Which is exactly where he should be.” 

“And Jeremy what’s his excuse?” Damon questioned. 

“We are not involving my brother in this,” Elena hissed. 

“Whatever, I’m going home and yes, leave Jer out of this,” Bonnie agreed. 

Bonnie walked out. She was so done with this. She needed to call Abby and mentally prepare herself for tonight. 

XXX 

Later that night, Bonnie arrived at the rundown old house with Abby. When they stepped out of the car, Finn and Esther were already waiting for them on the porch. 

“Who’s that guy?” Abby whispered. 

“Finn and he’s an Original vampire,” Bonnie replied tapping her ear. 

“Oh.” 

“Welcome Bennett witches,” Esther said with a pleasant smile that made the hair on Bonnie’s neck stand on end. “It’s an honor to stand united with you. Abby as I’m sure Bonnie has told you, I was trained by your ancestor Ayanna.” 

“Yes, yes, we are all holding hands and singing Kumbaya,” Bonnie said. “Let’s just get this over with, okay?” 

Tension crept into Esther’s expression. 

“Very well. Follow me, if you please.” 

The old house was creepy even in daylight. Bonnie could feel the presence of the spirits and that calmed her somewhat. These were other witches and they were there to help them. She could sense their approval, it vibrated through the air like a living, breathing thing, it reassured her she was doing the right thing. 

In the next few hours Bonnie and Abby assisted Esther in setting up for the spell. Finn stood on the outskirts because this was powerful magic and a vampire’s presence could mess with it. At least, that was what Esther claimed, Bonnie wasn’t sure. She had cast a lot of spells with Caroline doing the assist and it hadn’t impacted her casting. 

The end result was a large salt pentagram with torches at each end. The sun began to set and Esther stepped into the circle along with Finn. Esther began to chant and Bonnie looked at Abby, who shrugged in answer. 

Perfect, they were just going to stand here on the sidelines because the one thing Esther needed from them, she already had. The worst part was, she hadn’t even asked their consent before taking it. 

Her phone vibrated and she checked it. It was a text from Damon saying that everything had gone wrong. Of course, it had, but not to worry he was going to fix it. 

‘Is Elena in danger?’ Bonnie sent the reply without a second thought. 

‘Yes, do I seem like I give two shits about anyone else? Because if so, I need to be clearer in the future.’ 

Bonnie groaned. ‘Fix it. Now. The spell is halfway.’ 

‘Copy that, bossy pants.’ 

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie put her phone away. 

Her attention was drawn back to Esther. Her eyes were closed and her expression was stony. Wind began to howl. The air crackled with magic, the hairs on her arm stood on end. Abruptly, a bad feeling washed over Bonnie. 

When she used to get these feelings, her Grams told her to open herself to it. And that was exactly what she did now. She raised her eyes and followed the feeling. Her eyes landed on Kol, Elijah and Klaus. 

They came out of the woods somehow looking both menacing and like GQ models. 

“Get inside,” Finn said. 

Bonnie pushed Abby toward the house. They both knew to break the spell the lineage needed to be broken and their presence here indicated Damon and Stefan were cooperating. That meant the Originals knew it too. The only way to break the line was to kill one of them, but Bonnie needed to stay here to back up Esther. She had come too far to stop now. They were minutes away from ridding Mystic Falls of the Mikaelsons. 

“Go, the spirits will protect you.” 

“What about you?” Abby asked her expression was horrified. 

“I’ll be right behind you.” 

That was a lie, but Bonnie put on her brave face. With one last glance over her shoulder, Abby ran inside. 

Bonnie faced off with the Mikaelsons. Kol was circling the outside of the protective circle. Bonnie tried to run inside of it, but Elijah flashed forward and grabbed her. He put his hand around her throat. 

“Do not do anything stupid, I don’t want to hurt you, Bonnie,” Elijah said speaking in that calm, formal way he had. 

“What happened?” 

“We have Elena. A little incentive to side with us in this family dispute.” 

“Elena trusts you!” Bonnie hissed. “How could you?” 

“Survival.” 

Kol’s expression darkened as he continued to pace the sacred circle. 

“Well look at this, the favorite son is playing the role of sacrificial lamb.” 

“Don’t stop the spell, Esther!” 

Bonnie lashed out at Elijah with magic. She threw him across the clearing. 

Kol flashed in front of her. “Rematch, little witch?” 

Bonnie cast the spell to give him an aneurism. Kol growled and clutched his head. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Esther’s spell had been broken. Damon and Stefan had broken the Bennett line. That’s what Elijah meant about them fixing it, which meant Abby – Bonnie gasped for breath. 

She dropped the spell she was casting on Kol. She turned to run away, but Kol recovered faster than she thought she would. He grabbed her and threw her into the circle. 

“Abby!” Bonnie screamed. “Abby!” 

She scrambled to her feet and faced off with Kol. Damon and Stefan appeared with Abby in their arms. Elijah raced to their side. 

Klaus was trying to get to Esther, but Finn was blocking him. 

“Damon what the hell did you do to my mother?” 

Kol grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. 

“Sorry, Bon-Bon, but I’d rather it was her than you.” 

“Focus, on the problem at hand, little witch,” Kol growled at her. 

Bonnie stared at him, was he flirting with her? Was this his sick idea of flirting? 

“Are you kidding me? My mother is dead!” 

Kol looked taken aback. 

“Ours is soon to follow,” Klaus said with a smirk. 

“Technically, she’s in transition.” 

“I hate ripper Stefan,” Bonnie muttered under her breath. 

She put her hand to her head. 

Kol looked at her again, a peculiar expression showed up on his face. Then he too rushed at Esther. Esther roared and a portal of bright blue light appeared next to Bonnie. 

XXX 

Kol studied Bonnie’s reaction to learning her mother was about to transition. Her face showed every thought she had so clearly in that moment it pained him. Her mouth wobbled and her green eyes revealed pain, pain and confusion. He couldn’t recall every being that young or that heartbroken, but he never wanted to see Bonnie look like that again. 

He changed his focus to Esther. He had his own mother problems that needed to be solved. Before he could attack, Esther struck with a spell he had never seen before. It opened a portal of sorts. 

Esther flung her hand out and sent Bonnie through. Kol didn’t even think, he knew that if his mother sent Bonnie, he needed to go as well. He lunged at the portal. Thanks to vampire speed, he made it just in time to grab her leg as she fell through the portal and he got sucked in with her. 

Everywhere he looked the world was blue. A bright, almost blinding blue. He spun around and lost all sense of time. How long had he been here? He looked over at Bonnie and saw that her expression was one of pure terror. Whatever was going on, she didn’t know anymore than he did. 

Esther’s voice broke through the haze. 

“Bonnie dear girl, I am sending you back to kill my children and myself if necessary before they can turn.” 

Kol growled. This was truly low even for his parents. 

The swirling in the vortex sped up until he couldn’t see anything. It got worse until he passed out. 

XXX 

Bonnie woke up on the ground. The sky was a bright blue and when she looked around she was nowhere near the old witch house. She was in the middle of a forest clearing, birds chirped and the only other person present was Kol, who was holding her foot. 

What had happened? 

Last night came rushing back to her. Esther had sent her through a portal and back in time to kill the Originals. 

Kill them? 

Bonnie shot up into a sitting position. Kill them as in kill human children or teens? Bonnie couldn’t do that. She could kill vampires without breaking a sweat or thinking about it afterwards, but taking a human life? That she couldn’t do, not even people she hated. Not even ones that were going to grow up and murder across the centuries. 

But maybe, just maybe she could stop Esther from ever turning her children into vampires. The Originals didn’t actually need to die, they just needed to remain human. 

Kol stirred and she jerked out of his grip. He woke in a split second. He was on his feet and stalking toward her. Bonnie scrambled to hers and started backing away. She threw an aneurism at him. Except nothing happened, Kol kept advancing and she kept backing up. 

The second time she tried she concentrated harder. She tried to draw her magic forward, tried to pull power from the forest around her, but nothing happened. 

She backed into a tree and froze. Kol was right in front of her, boxing her in and she had nowhere to run. She squared her jaw and met his eyes directly. He cocked his head to the side and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. 

“Why does my mother think you are willing to murder as humans?” 

“You think I asked for this?” Bonnie shot back and gaped at him. 

Was he stupid or just completely deranged? 

“I don’t know what to think. However, I do know you and my mother are in cahoots. And since you did attempt to kill me last night, Bon it’s not a stretch to think you might be involved in this as well.” 

“Oh my God, you are crazy! I just wanted Klaus dead because he is totally psycho and he is hurting the people I love, but the rest of you? That’s your mother’s deal.” 

“Oh, Kol, I don’t know what your mother is up to. I’m as innocent as they come and I’ll bat my lashes at you so you don’t get suspicious,” he said in a high voice as he imitated her with fluttered lashes. Then his smile turned evil. “It’s not your fault. I’m certain Finn and mother knew to send you my way. Send in a pretty little Bennett witch to distract me.” 

“What? Are you completely psycho? I wasn’t flirting with you!” 

Kol’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t?” 

“No.” 

“You’re not lying,” his eyes widened. 

“Right, because you can always spot a lie. Is that your superpower or something?” 

“Not precisely,” Kol told her vaguely. “I can hear your heartbeat.” 

“So are we good? Because I’m not going to kill a human family.” 

“How…moral,” Kol replied with eyes dancing with amusement. 

“Kol, seriously we have time travelled. I don’t want to kill anyone, I want to get away from you and go home.” 

“Then we have a mutual goal. What do you say, we do it together?” 

Kol held his hand out to her. Bonnie stared at it, hesitating. 

“On one condition, you have to trust me. If you go psycho on me one for any reason and I will find your human self and kill him, okay?” 

“Sounds reasonable,” Kol flashed a confident smile once more. “What do you say, let’s do this together?” 

He repeated his earlier phrase and this time when he held his hand out to her, she put hers in his. Kol smiled a happy smile then that made him look like a little boy with his favorite toy. Bonnie swallowed nervously, she hoped she wasn’t that toy. 

“Do you know anything about time travel?” Bonnie asked and drew her hand back after a moment, wondering why Kol would take her hand if he wasn’t planning on leading her anywhere. 

“No. To be perfectly honest, I assumed it was a myth.” 

“Great.” 

“But,” he smiled a crooked smile at her. “I think I might know someone, who will know. First however, we need to seek shelter for the night and find something to eat. It will be dark in a few hours.” 

“We aren’t going into the village?” 

“No, at least not you. Not until I know more about when we landed.” 

“Why not?” 

“The villagers we lived with were werewolves, if it is a full moon, we are better off in this neck of the woods. They rarely venture out towards the falls.” 

Bonnie studied him for a moment. He seemed genuinely concerned, but she doubted that was something he was capable of. “Wait, could a werewolf bite kill you? Are you scared?” 

“Don’t be silly,” Kol growled. “I’ve been bitten once or twice and it is an agonizing few weeks before the poison is burnt out. The real trouble is the werewolves would kill you.” 

“Oh, that’s kind of disappointing. And that would be bad,” she added the last part as an afterthought. 

“Trust me, little witch you do not want to be around me with a werewolf bite. Last time around, I hallucinated and slaughtered three villages before I finally came to my senses.” 

Bonnie gaped at him and took a step back. “Rule two, you and your fangs keep a healthy distance at all times.” 

Kol turned his lips down into a teasing pout. “That’s no fun, love.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes and started walking in an arbitrary direction. Kol loped up next to her easily. He flashed her a smile. 

“There’s a cave up this way, we can set up camp there. It’s difficult to enter, it’ll keep any werewolves out.” 

“Sounds like a plan. How long do we have before the sun sets?” 

Kol looked up at the sky then back at the ground. “I’d say a couple of hours. Once it’s dark I’ll slip into the village, I’ll find someone to eat and return in no time.” 

“Don’t go eating villagers, you could mess up the future. And if you are just going to run around after nightfall, why is it so important we have a camp before then?” 

“Because there are a lot of things roaming these woods and I don’t believe you would care to encounter them.” 

“I can take care of myself.” 

Bonnie wasn’t so sure of that in this time period. Earlier when she had tried to attack Kol, her magic hadn’t responded at all. It was almost as if it didn’t exist. If that was the case then she was in deep trouble. But she was not going to tell Kol she might be defenseless. He was a total psycho, who would do what? 

She didn’t know. But she did know she only trusted him right now because they had a common goal. And once they found a way home, she was going to make certain the Mikaelsons never became vampires in the first place. 

XXX 

Bonnie and Kol foraged for berries and leaves. Kol’s knowledge of the forest was impressive. She had thought she was familiar with the local plant lives, but he far exceeded hers. He seemed to enjoy teaching her about the plants and flowers. With each new kind they came across, he explained its uses with a content smile and a patient tone of voice. 

“How do you know all of this?” Bonnie asked as she placed the blue flowers in her scarf. They were using it to gather everything they needed. 

“You do realize super markets are a relatively modern invention, do you not, little witch?” 

There was a teasing glint in his eyes that made her stomach do a little flip. Bonnie forced herself to remember that he was not only the enemy, he was a psychotic enemy. One that might even make Damon seem normal. 

Well sort of normal. 

Even after all these years, Damon still made her skin crawl. 

“Right, still it’s weird. You don’t look older than me and you don’t act older than me, but you remember the good old days.” 

Kol snorted. “Easy on the praise, sweetheart.” 

“The good old days, weren’t really kind to people like me. So you’ll forgive me if I’m not interested in reminiscing with you,” Bonnie said with a disgusted look. 

Kol paused in his actions, which made her realize how weird it was to see Kol picking plants. The sun beat down overhead and she tossed aside her jacket. She wiped her brow, she was starting to sweat. 

“Do you mean because you are black or a woman?” 

“Both.” 

“Ah,” he nodded. “Yes, I do recall as I was there for the good old days as you call them.” 

“Right, it’s weird. You’re like Viking old and you look like any of the boys I go to school with. How do you do it? How do adapt to the constant changes?” 

Kol studied her for a long moment. “You just do. As for your other concerns, when we do enter the village, you will be fine. I swear it. This was not a time when your ancestors were oppressed.” 

“Okay,” Bonnie said letting out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “I just want to go on record that this is a terrible plan and I wasn’t onboard with it. Ever.” 

“I believe you.” 

“Yeah, the whole hearing lies thing is creepy.” 

Kol laughed. “Come on, this will be more than enough for a soup. The cave is this way.” 

Bonnie followed him for another ten minutes or so. By the time they reached the cave she was sweating and thirsty. She dumped the scarf filled with flowers by the entrance and strolled down to the brook. 

If Esther had to send her back in time, she couldn’t have sent her to a time when her clothes matched the weather? Or at least bothered to give Bonnie clothes that fit with the time period? She looked down at her jeans and knew instantly that if any villagers saw her, they would know something was very wrong. 

Bonnie crouched by the stream and drank deep. The water tasted amazing it was clean and pure. She closed her eyes and savored it. The only time she had tasted water anywhere near as good as this was when she went camping in the mountains and even then it hadn’t been this fresh. 

People really had fucked up the planet. 

“I’m going to run into the village. Find us some appropriate clothes and other things we might need to stay here,” Kol announced as he came up behind her. 

“I’m coming with you.” 

“No, you’re not. Stealing requires speed and stealth. I’ll acknowledge witches superiority in many regards, but in the stealth department vampires are better.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. 

“I’m not staying here alone.” 

“I won’t be more than an hour.” 

“You’d better not be. If you abandon me in the woods, I will hunt you down and set you on fire, got it?” 

“Got it,” he flashed a dazzling smile. “You are spectacular when you are angry.” 

“Seriously, I haven’t gone camping in years and I don’t want to get eaten by a bear.” 

“Relax, little witch and a camp fire at the cave entrance will keep away bears, mountain lions and any other beasties that might be lurking.” 

Kol winked at her and disappeared in a flash. 

“I need summer clothes!” Bonnie called after him even if she wasn’t sure he heard. 

It occurred to her that Kol wasn’t wrong about the camp fire. She gathered up wood and made a firepit out of rocks. She made certain to put it on the dirt floor right outside of the cave and far away from anything flammable. 

Then it hit her, her magic wasn’t working. She tried for what felt like an eternity to get the fire going, but no luck. Each time she tried to summon her magic, she came back with nothing. By the time, she was done she was sweating from the effort and the sun. 

Deciding she had enough time before Kol returned she went down to the stream. She took off her shirt and kneeled by the water. It was cold and refreshing when she dipped her hands in it. Slowly, she splashed some on her face. She gasped in pleasure at its cool kiss. She let the water run down her chest and neck. It made goosebumps rise on her skin. 

Still too hot, Bonnie took her jeans and shoes off. She kneeled in front of the water in nothing but her bra and panties. She looked around quickly to make sure she was still alone. No sign of Kol. So cupped her hands together and filled them with water. She poured it down her chest and sighed in content. Already she felt cooler. 

XXX 

It took Kol less than fifteen minutes to reach the village. A quick round on the outskirts told him, this was the last summer he and his siblings were humans. He caught a glimpse of Henrik. The sight was too painful and he ran away before he could examine his emotions. He snuck into what used to be his bedroom. 

Strange, he did not require an invitation. Perhaps it was because this had once been his home? 

He didn’t waste time overthinking it. Instead, he pilfered a pair of black linen trousers, and a blue shirt. He changed into it and an old pair of suede boots. He toyed with the idea of stealing one of his old swords before discarding it. He didn’t need a weapon, he was an Original vampire. Then there was the issue if his father discovered he had lost his weapon, his past self would be in for hell. He was not looking to add painful memories to a millennia that was already filled with too many. 

His next stop was to swing by a nearby villagers clothing line. There were clothes hanging out to dry and he guessed that these matched Bonnie’s size. He took that and then he went to find sleeping rolls and other things they might need. 

It was a quick trip. During which he tried not to look to closely upon the village that he had grown up in. If he had done that, he was not certain what his reaction would be. Perhaps it would have been pleasant, he knew Rebekah missed it and he wished she could be here to see it. He on the other hand, had spent a millennia trying to forget. If he remembered, he might find he missed it and that was not something he could bear. Not when he could plot his revenge on Niklaus instead. 

As he neared the camp a soft moan and a sigh of pleasure caught his attention. He slowed to a normal walk. he made sure to move soundlessly. 

When he got closer he saw what had caught his attention. It was Bonnie. She was on her knees by the stream the perfect picture of a nature goddess. Her hair hung freely down her back and she was wearing nothing except a matching black underwear set. He saw all of her beautiful golden skin and her generous curves. His mouth dried and his pants tightened uncomfortably. 

His brain shut down to the point that he could not decipher what she was doing at first. Then finally, it dawned on him. She was too hot and she had no idea he had seen her. He wanted to go on standing there forever, but knowing Bonnie she would not like that. 

Kol swaggered into the clearing and decided the best course of action was to make his presence known. Preferably before she set him on fire, he hated healing from burn wounds. 

“Well I must say this is a pleasant surprise, little witch,” Kol said with a broad grin. 

Bonnie jerked to attention. She covered her upper body with her arms. Her expression was frozen into one of pure horror. 

“Kol!” 

“Yes? Am I early? This wasn’t meant as a surprise for me?” he asked with an innocent expression, but he made certain to keep his voice flirtatious. 

“No, you pervert! Turn around while I get dressed.” 

Kol turned his back, tamping down on a smile. She was cute when she was flustered. 

“I actually brought you some era appropriate clothing.” 

A small figure walked in front of him and he saw Bonnie had put on her jeans at least. That did maddening things to his mind. He let his eyes linger over her figure slowly until he met her eyes. When he finally met her eyes, Bonnie was both furious and red. 

“Hand it over,” she demanded. 

Bonnie threw her hand out and wore a defiant expression that did maddening things to him. She stunning even more so when she was angry. 

With a cheeky smile, Kol passed her the clothes. “You’re welcome, little witch.” 

“Thanks, a bunch for stealing clothes for me. All to go on an adventure I wouldn’t be on if it weren’t for you and your crazy family.” 

Kol rolled his eyes. “So dramatic. Don’t forget, I’m not the one that sent you back in time.” 

“No, that was just your psychotic mother. Is there anyone in your family that isn’t a nutjob?” 

Bonnie huffed and stomped away from him. He laughed. He probably shouldn’t laugh when she was genuinely furious, but he could not help himself. She was amazing. 

“Finn is relatively stable for a suicidal sap,” Kol tried to keep his voice even as he spoke. 

It was a challenge because he could hear Bonnie changing behind him. He heard the rustle of fabric and it peaked his interest. Inside of his mind, he could all too easily imagine what was happening behind. 

“I think Finn seems nice,” her voice was reproachful. “And you can turn around now. Thanks.” 

Kol wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for. Maybe for keeping his back turned? He wasn’t certain why she was surprised for that. When he had been human, men were maimed and killed for peeping on naked women. Contrary to his earlier actions, it was not a habit of his. 

Slowly, it dawned on him, the little witch did not think much of him. How depressing, in his experience women loved him. Why was she the exception? She must feel the heat between them. 

“Kol?” Bonnie said when he stayed where he was lost in thought. “Are you okay?” 

He turned around and flashed a smile. “You look ravishing.” 

“That didn’t sound even a little polite. I thought we agreed, we are allies. Nothing more.” 

Kol frowned. She was stubborn and it did not help his mood that she did in fact look ravishing in that dress. The pale blue clung to every figure. It was made of light garment, it must belong to one of the European settlers because it looked like something Rebekah used to wear. It flared out slightly at the waist and had a sweetheart neckline with thin sleeves. 

“My apologies,” he ground out determined to play the game. “I am going to go hunting. We can have rabbit soup for dinner.” 

“No,” Bonnie shook her head. “I don’t want to see you kill, flay and gut a rabbit.” 

He flashed a teasing smile. “Modern girls are adorable.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Bonnie waved his concern aside. “Vegetarian soup, okay?” 

“Fine by me. It’s not as if I am eating.” 

Kol smirked. If that was her reaction to killing a rabbit, he wondered how she would feel when she found out he planned to continue to feed on humans. It did not matter to him that she disapproved, he needed sustenance or he would be nearly mummified before they could leave. For fear of disrupting the timeline, he didn’t intend to kill any of them. He did not want to alter things although he did feel a strong compulsion to kill Klaus before he returned home. Save himself a few centuries in a box. 

XXX 

Bonnie thought the soup was pretty good since she didn’t have any spices or a stove. Kol she noticed wasn’t eating, but at least he wasn’t watching her eat. Instead, he sat on a rock staring off into the distance. 

“Did you see anyone you know in the village?” 

Kol looked at her in surprise. “No, but I did steal some clothes from my old room. I always wondered where that shirt went to. It was my favorite.” 

The wheels in her head started racing. 

“Wait, are you saying you remember this? Do you have any idea what that means?” 

“Yes and no.” 

Kol turned to look at her. His dark eyes were studying her. 

“It means, at least I think,” Bonnie’s heart was pounding as she rushed to explain. “ it means that we were meant to come here. All of this, might have happened before.” 

“I doubt that very much, little witch. If I had caught as much as a glimpse of you in the past, I would have remembered.” 

He stared at her with heat and intensity in his dark eyes. So much that she blushed. She looked down to hide it. 

“We are not good. Just because you leave me some expensive present, doesn’t mean I forgive you for trying to murder my friend.” 

“How peculiar,” Kol cocked his head to the side and looked genuinely confused. “You don’t seem particularly upset that I hurt you.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Bonnie shrugged. “You aren’t the first Original to try to kill me and I doubt you’ll be the last.” 

Now his expression was appalled. “You’re a Bennett witch, you should value yourself more.” 

“Who says I don’t?” 

“Furthermore, I wasn’t trying to kill you.” 

“Funny, you could have fooled me.” 

“I was trying to knock you unconscious.” 

“So much better,” she said sarcastically with a disgusted look. 

“Mortals,” Kol said in an amused tone of voice. 

He lay back down on his back. 

Bonnie was certain he was asleep. She lay down on her back and tried to enjoy the sun. It wasn’t long before it started to get dark and cold. Since Kol was still asleep, she decided to try to light the fire. 

She gathered wood and twigs as well as dry grass. Then she sat down in front of the firepit. She closed her eyes and focused on summoning fire. Nothing. Just as earlier, nothing happened. 

Frustrated, she groaned and tried again. Still, nothing. 

By the fourth try, she was fed up. Angrily, she stood up and kicked at the rock. 

That woke Kol. He sat up and watched her, his dark eyes danced with amusement. Until he saw what she had been trying to do. 

“Lighting a fire shouldn’t pose such a problem for a witch.” 

“I –” Bonnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to tell him, but there wasn’t much point in lying to him. Sooner or later, he would work it out. “I can’t make my magic work here. Something is wrong.” 

“I’ll say,” Kol’s brow furrowed in consternation. “I’m still a vampire and you still smell like a witch.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I can smell the magic in your blood.” 

“That is so gross,” Bonnie grimaced and the more she thought about it the worse it felt. “Ew! Can all vampires do that?” 

“No, you have to know what to look for. I’ve run in the same circles as witches for centuries, I’ve learned things.” 

“Gross,” she grimaced again. “But that’s kind of good news, right? There must be some kind of trick to using it here.” 

“Likely,” he inclined his head. “On the bright side, without your magic you won’t be able to kill my siblings and I before we turn. At least not easily.” 

“Kol, for the hundredth time I was never going to do that!” Bonnie exclaimed. 

Kol got to his feet and sauntered lazily toward her. 

“Then I suppose our original agreement stands, allies until we can get back to our own time.” 

“And then all bets are off,” she agreed. “You know you’re freakishly paranoid, don’t you?” 

Kol smiled. “You know we don’t have to be on opposing sides of this, right?” 

“It kind of feels like we do.” 

Kol didn’t answer. Instead, he bent over the logs and lit a fire. He did it effortlessly by rubbing two stones against each other. 

“I’ll teach you how to do that later, if you’d like.” 

“Thanks.” 

Kol flashed her a happy smile. “I have to go into the village. I’ll return shortly.” 

Dread filled her. She didn’t want to tell Kol, but she was a little frightened of staying in the woods alone once dark fell. Her powers were basically gone and Kol had said earlier that there could be things other than werewolves lurking in the forest. Then there was the other possibility that Kol would leave her here now hat she had no powers. And she had no way of finding the village. Why hadn’t she paid better attention when her dad used to take her camping? 

“You were just there.” 

“Relax, sweetheart,” Bonnie bristled at the nickname. “I just need to find someone to eat and then I’ll be right back.” 

“So go eat a rabbit or a deer. Stefan does it all the time,” Bonnie said. “You don’t need to kill anyone.” 

“One,” he held up a finger. “Animal blood is for emergencies only. It doesn’t have enough power to sustain me for long. Two,” he held up another finger. “I hate the taste. And three,” he held up a third finger. “I am not going to kill anyone. I have learned some self-control.” 

Bonnie decided the best way to get what she wanted was to act like she didn’t care. She had seen Caroline do it to wrap boys around her finger. It usually worked for her. So she busied herself with unfurling the bed rolls. She chose a spot further in the cave. 

“Compelling someone to forget and still drinking their blood is wrong. Even if you heal them afterwards.” 

“Heal them?” he stared at her perplexed. “Oh, you are thinking of bloodharing with a human you care about, little witch. I am talking about feeding. I’ll make them forget and compel them to cover the wound until it heals.” 

“No, I can’t handle that. Just no, no drinking anyone’s blood. It’s gross and immoral.” 

Kol moved closer. “Then what am I supposed to do? If I don’t feed, I will decimate until I cannot move, but I am still conscious and can feel the agony.” 

Bonnie hesitated, she stopped what she was doing to look at him. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she couldn’t stand the idea of Kol hurting some innocent person. It would have been bad enough if he at least healed them, but he wasn’t even going to do that. 

She flashed back to when Caroline had been covered in vampire bites. How she had let Damon hurt her and how she forgot, but still remembered some things. How confused and scared she had been. Bonnie couldn’t let that happen to another person if she could help it. 

Protecting people, it’s what she did. She might not have magic at her fingertips anymore, but that did not mean she was useless. 

“Feed from me,” she said speaking before she had fully formed the thought. “Bite me instead. You don’t need to attack a stranger.” 

Kol stared at her, heat building in his dark eyes. A wicked smile graced his lips. He looked like both devil and angel in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you thought of this chapter :) I'm fireismyelement97 on tumblr if you want to request a kennett or bonkai drabble.  
> \- Izzy


	4. Chapter 4

“Feed from me,” she said speaking before she had fully formed the thought. “Bite me instead. You don’t need to attack a stranger.” 

Kol stared at her, heat building in his dark eyes. A wicked smile graced his lips. He looked like both devil and angel in that moment. “What happened to our agreement that I keep my fangs to myself?” 

“It’s not like I am a fan of this idea, but it’s better than you attacking innocent villagers.” 

He looked appalled. “You can’t be serious, little witch.” 

“Why not? I’m not good enough for you?” 

“Hardly,” he scoffed. “You’re a Bennett witch. What do you think you are doing offering yourself up as a meal to protect the life of another person? A stranger’s life no less.” 

“Thought you weren’t going to kill anyone,” she challenged. 

“I might slip,” he replied with a smirk that sent chills down her spine. 

“If you give me your you won’t slip with me, you can feed from me.” 

“That is a tantalizing offer. You have my word, I won’t harm you. I’ll heal you afterwards as well.” 

Kol vampire ran in front of her. She gasped and took an involuntary step back. He frowned at her. 

“Are you certain about this, my sweet?” 

Bonnie nodded. “It’s the vampire running thing, it freaks me out.” 

“It’ll only hurt for a minute. Relax and you might even enjoy it.” 

He flashed fangs. Veins protruded from underneath his eyes and the eyes themselves turned back. Her heart started to pound with fear. She didn’t have her magic here and Kol was deranged, but he seemed to have a soft spot for her. 

“Let’s just get it over with.” 

Kol’s vampire face disappeared. “I can hear your heartbeat, you know. I can smell your fear. It’s not too late to back out.” 

“Why do you care?” Bonnie raised her chin defiantly. 

“In spite of your conspiracy with my mother, I rather fancy you, little witch. I’d hate to upset or spook you.” 

“I have made up my mind.” 

Kol took her hand. It was a light touch. He led her to the bedroll. He sat down and pulled her down with him. She sank down onto the matt. Unsure of what to do next, she let him guide her into a lying position. He lay flat across her and wrapped his arms around her middle. A shiver ran through her as she felt his taut muscles. 

Almost lovingly, Kol stroked the hair away from her neck. His fingers touched the vein in her neck lightly. He traced the same place with his neck next, an electric jolt went through her at his touch. 

“Relax, little witch.” 

He nipped at her throat with his fangs and she gasped. It was a light touch, playful and it did not break the skin. She let out a nervous laugh. She felt Kol’s smile against her throat. He bit harder this time, but now she was ready for him. Next thing she knew, he bit her for real. His fangs pierced her skin and she whimpered in surprise. 

It stung, like being pricked by a needle. She grabbed his shoulders and her fingernails dug into the skin there. Kol bit her harder and his hand stroked her side. The touch was almost soothing and it was enough that the pain faded to pleasure. 

Suddenly, she felt hot all over. Pleasure crashed through her and she closed her eyes. The feeling was indescribable. It was as if she was being swept away on waves of pleasure. She was dimly aware of Kol’s arms around her, of his body on hers, but she could not remember, who he was. Not really. Heat crashed through her and she disappeared in drowsiness. Euphoria. 

XXX 

Kol had never tasted anything as wonderful as Bonnie’s blood. It was magical like her. He wanted to keep drinking her forever, but he could feel her pulse begin to weaken. He withdrew his fangs. 

Bonnie whimpered in complaint. He smiled and caressed her cheek. 

“Hush now, my sweet.” 

He bit into his wrist. He pressed the bloody appendage to her wrist. It took her a moment, but her tongue flicked out and lapped up the blood. He had to grit his teeth to resist pursuing anything further because Bonnie’s mouth on his body felt too good. His pants tightened uncomfortably. 

Bonnie sat up and pushed him to the side. She looked groggy, but her movements were confident. His blood was on her lips and there was blood on her neck, her blood. The sight made his pants tightened further. 

Unable to resist, he flashed a wicked smile. He reached out and removed the blood from her neck. He licked it form his finger and wicked at her. 

“Delicious, just like you, little witch.” 

Bonnie’s eyes widened in horror. Her breathing was shallow and her cheeks were flushed. She looked away. 

“It doesn’t mean anything. I just can’t have you out feeding from innocent people. It’s wrong.” 

“So moral,” he said in teasing tones. 

That got her pulse racing and he could see the indignation written plain across her face. 

“Shut up.” 

“You know, I’ve met more than one of your ancestors in the past. You Bennetts have a nasty habit of sacrificing yourselves to save others. Careful or you might be next.” 

“Are you threatening me?” she stared at him with her mouth open in shock. 

“No, I am warning you.” Kol tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You probably feel a little high right now, but you should rest. Bloodsharing can be hard on witches.” 

“How?” 

“One minute you feel exhilarated, full of energy and in the next you crash into an exhausted heap. I believe it’s the witch’s magic recognizing the magic that created us. It’s a rush, right?” 

Bonnie smiled. “Like eating too much sugar.” 

“I wouldn’t know. Human food doesn’t have much of an effect on vampires. Fast metabolism.” 

“Right.” 

“I’ll let you rest.” 

Kol kissed her forehead and Bonnie stayed for a full second before scrambling away. 

“It doesn’t mean anything, Kol. Still just allies, remember?” 

Kol flashed a smile that promised wicked things. Then he nodded and got off her bed roll. 

He put down his own bed roll and tried not to let it show that he watched her. Outside darkness was falling. He judged it to be getting late if the sun was setting in summertime. Probably around ten or eleven at night. 

Bonnie kept her face to him. Likely so that she could make sure he didn’t sneak away or try to get closer to her. 

“You’ll be here in the morning, right?” she posed the question in a whisper. 

Maybe she was half-hoping he wouldn’t hear. 

“Of course. We’re allies, remember?” he said repeating her own words back to her. “We are going to get home, together.” 

“Together,” she echoed. “That’s a weird thought.” 

“I’ve been alive for a thousand years, and this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. So yes, that’s a fitting description.” 

“Huh,” Bonnie said seeming to think about that. “It’s maybe the second or third weirdest thing that’s happened to me.” 

“Mystic Falls, still a beacon for trouble, I see.” 

“You’re kind of the only vampire here,” Bonnie’s voice was hesitant and when he looked over, he saw that she was chewing on her bottom lip. Her heart rate was all over the place as well. Whatever she was about to ask, it was not something she wanted to ask. “And you seem to know a lot about witches…” 

He understood then. “Your mother?” 

“Yeah, will she be alright? I know you can’t be both a witch and a vampire and I don’t know if we will get back in time.” 

“In time?” he asked. 

“In case she chooses not to transition.” 

“Oh,” he breathed. “I haven’t met many that refuse the transition, not even witches. Few people wish to die.” 

“It’s what Caroline’s father chose.” 

“I can’t say however, I imagine she will choose to change. When she does, it will be,” he chose his next word carefully. He didn’t want to alarm her. “Difficult, but in time she will adapt.” 

When Bonnie didn’t answer, Kol eventually fell asleep. He was lulled into sleep by the sound of her soft breathing. He thought it was strange how quickly she fell asleep then he supposed, it had been a long day. Humans were different they needed sleep, it was a physical need. For vampires, it was more of a mental rest. It kept them from going mad. 

XXX 

The next day, Bonnie was sitting by the spring. She was trying to meditate. She was focusing her mind on getting in tune with nature and this time period. If she still smelled like a witch to Kol, then her magic must still be within her. It might be dormant, but it was still there. And if it was, she was going to find a way to draw it out. 

The problem was that she could feel Kol pacing. Actually, she was sure if she turned around, she would see he was lurking and stalking more than he was pacing. 

Without turning around she said, “What is it?” 

“Is your magic working yet?” 

“No, and I am trying to get it to so we can find a way home.” 

“Yes, I can see that except you’re not casting any spells,” she could hear the smirk in his voice. “Meditation is all fine and well however, using your magic is better.” 

“I don’t see you doing anything to get us home,” she muttered. “And who do you think you know that might know something about time travel?” 

“An old mentor of my mother’s.” 

“You mean Ayanna.” 

“I certainly don’t mean my mother.” 

Bonnie turned around to scowl at him in disapproval. “You know for a guy that hasn’t been a teenager for centuries, you are really sarcastic.” 

“All a part of my charm, little witch.” 

Bonnie got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her dress. The fabric was soft and it was beautiful. What she didn’t like was the long skirt, it kept tripping her up. The length was too long on her. But given that it was either the stolen dress or an outfit that was too hot, she would take the dress. She made a mental note to find something better if they had to stay for more than another day. A thought that was so disturbing it hardened her resolve to leave. 

“Then let’s go.” 

Kol flashed a smile. That she ignored. 

He led the way and she tried her best to ignore him. He was whistling and looked altogether too happy for someone that had been sent back in time by his psycho mother. Of course, he was a psycho himself so expecting him to have a normal reaction was probably asking too much. 

Instead, she focused on the forest around her. It was beautiful and familiar. The familiarity was comforting. The trees were still tall enough they blocked out a lot of the sunlight. The rays dabbled through the leaves and birds chirped in the trees. The path however, was not as well-worn as it was in her days. 

“Do you attend school?” 

The question caught her off guard. “What kind of question is that? Of course I do.” 

“Just curious. I don’t know much about the modern era. I know Rebekah for some reason has enrolled in an educational program that is not higher education.” 

“To be honest, I’m not sure why she did. Mystic Falls high is just one murderous disaster after another. I can’t wait to get out of there.” 

Kol cocked his head to the side and studied her. “Curios. Yet you continue to attend the school.” 

“No high school diploma, no university degree, which means dead-end job and minimum wage for the rest of my life.” 

“Minimum wage? I suppose that term is rather self-explanatory,” Kol flashed another one of his boyish smiles. “You now witches have ways of bypassing those mundane human rules that society imposes upon them.” 

“Pass.” 

Kol chuckled. “You are uniquely stubborn.” 

“Uh-huh,” Bonnie threw him a disbelieving look that only made him smile more. 

“I’m not joking and it’s a compliment. I’ve lived a long time and yet I can count on one hand the number of times I have encountered someone as stubborn as you.” 

Bonnie snorted. “Some compliment.” 

Kol chuckled. 

They reached the falls and Bonnie stopped to watch them. She had a sip of water from the waterskin, Kol had stolen. The falls were breathtaking during the day. The sound of water rushed all around her and she lingered, enjoying the sight of something familiar. 

The moment was so peaceful, she hardly noticed when Kol came to stand just behind her. He lingered and didn’t say anything. Thankfully, she was getting tired of his constant stares and his weird idea of compliments, not to mention his completely bizarre questions. Although, she had to admit, if only to herself his questions weren’t that strange for a vampire that had been locked in a crypt for over a century. If she had been, she would probably have a lot of questions too. 

The water in the lake was crystal clear and the heat in the air was enough that she wanted to go for a swim. Too bad Kol was there or she might have given in to that temptation. Typical Bonnie Bennett luck. What else was new? 

“Did you know your feelings are always revealed in your expression?” 

Bonnie shook her head. “What now?” 

“You went from looking as if you were enjoying yourself and then the next instant, unhappy,” he explained. 

Bonnie glared at him. “Let’s just go.” 

“Fine by me.” 

When they finally arrived at the village, Bonnie was amazed. It was busier than she had imagined. There were small, crude houses. People milled all around and Bonnie stopped to watch the action. It all looked so normal that it gave her the weird feeling of being back in her own time at the same time as she knew she wasn’t. 

Before Bonnie could get close enough anyone could spot them, Kol pulled her away. 

“Come on, little witch. I don’t know where my human self is at the moment and colliding with him would mean I have to compel the whole village.” 

“Why don’t you?” 

“Vervain tea was a common beverage.” 

“Oh.” 

Bonnie followed him to a house near the outskirts of town. It had a back entrance that allowed him to knock without risking being seen. He ducked out of sight when the door opened. A woman stood in the door with a pleasant, but confused expression. Her skin was darker than Bonnie’s, lines had begin to show on her face, but her brown eyes were sharp. What caught Bonnie’s attention was that the shape of their face was the same. Even the shape of the eyes was the same. 

That feeling that she was family appeared. It seemed Ayanna sensed it to because she smiled. 

“Hi, I’m a friend of Kol’s. Are him or any of his relatives here?” 

“No,” Ayanna said with her eyes narrowing. “But you are not only a friend of Kol’s.” 

“Yeah, that’s actually one of the things I needed to talk to you about.” 

Bonnie wondered why she could understand Ayanna or how Ayanna could understand her. It didn’t seem likely that anyone here spoke English, but she realized it had to be a part of Esther’s spell. She must have known Bonnie would need to understand people if she was going to be successful in killing her children. A chill ran down her spine like it always did when she thought why she had been sent here. 

“What is that energy I sense?” 

Ayanna’s eyes went to where Kol was hiding. Kol stepped out with a sheepish smile and his hands in the air. 

“It’s a long story.” 

“Come on in. You can explain over tea, but if you try to harm me, I’ll throw you,” Ayanna warned. “Something is different about you and I sense blood.” 

“I had forgotten how perceptive you are.” 

Bonnie was surprised at how much Kol seemed to genuinely like Ayanna. It was weird to think of him having friends. He didn’t seem likable enough to her for that. 

“And I had forgotten how lovely you are,” Kol replied with a teasing smile. 

“Well you certainly have changed,” Ayanna said with a steely-eyed stare. “Now come on in both of you and tell me what kind of mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Kol.” 

They sat down in Ayanna’s kitchen. She made them a cup of tea. Vervain, Bonnie could smell the herb even before she tasted it. Kol wrinkled his nose and politely declined. 

Ayanna raised an eyebrow. “You used to love vervain tea. How peculiar.” 

There was something about the way she was looking at him. 

“Yes, well it’s been longer than you might think.” 

“I should think so if there are two of you running around. At the very least there is likely magic afoot.” 

Kol and Bonnie told her the story. Kol explained what had happened to his family in rough details, how Esther had turned them into vampires with Ayanna’s help. How they had been sent back in time by accident. When Bonnie went to explain that Esther was attempting to kill her own children, Kol put his hand on her knee and squeezed. The expression on his face revealed nothing, but she understood instantly. If Ayanna knew why they were here, she might not be willing to send them back. She might even decide Esther had the right idea. 

“I see,” Ayanna nodded. She had a long sip of tea before she gave them both a piercing stare. “You aren’t telling me the whole truth, but since you cannot remain here, I’d say we better get you two home as fast as we can.” 

Bonnie and Kol exchanged looks of doubt. Ayanna clearly didn’t trust them, which to Bonnie’s way of thinking meant they shouldn’t trust her, at least not fully. It seemed Kol arrived at the same conclusion because his expression mirrored hers. 

“How?” Bonnie asked. 

“I’m not sure. Time travel is tricky business and I’ve never attempted it because it is as dangerous as it is complicated. One wrong step and it can unravel everything important.” 

“You have your methods,” Kol said staring her down. 

That stare if it had been turned on Bonnie, would have frightened her. But instead, Ayanna simply stared back at him with an even gaze. 

“I do,” Ayanna agreed. “However, this will take time. You may both stay for dinner and come back tomorrow evening. By then, I should know a little more.” 

Dinner with Ayanna turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. The meal she served was definitely an improvement upon last night’s vegetable soup, which had turned cold by this morning. 

Halfway through dinner there was a knock on the door. Kol listened and then cursed. “It’s me. My past self.” 

“I’m afraid, I am going to have to ask you to leave, Kol.” 

Bonnie looked at the table and instantly knew why. There were only two places since Kol wasn’t eating. He didn’t need human food and had refused for reasons she couldn’t understand. 

“You have to let me in,” Kol reminded her. “You always do. If you don’t –” 

“You will think something is wrong,” Ayanna said. “Or maybe you are here for another reason. He’ll have to meet Bonnie. There’s no help for it.” 

“Hell,” Kol groaned. “Now I am going to spend the next couple of centuries obsessing after decades of trying to track her down again.” 

“What?” Bonnie looked at him in confusion. 

Kol winked at her before disappearing in one of those disturbingly fast blurs vampires ran in. 

Ayanna went to open the door and welcomed Kol inside. When he stepped into the kitchen Bonnie’s breath was caught. 

This Kol was completely different than the one she knew. He was still tall, still looked the same. But his hair was longer. It was almost to his shoulders and tied back in a messy man-bun. His eyes were warm and friendly, without a hint of malice or danger. His smile was open and friendly. When he saw Bonnie, his mouth popped open and he stared. 

Ayanna nudged him. “This is my twice removed niece, Bonnie. Bonnie my dear, this is Kol Mikaelson.” 

Kol turned bright red. “Lovely to meet you, Bonnie.” 

For a moment, Bonnie couldn’t speak. He had called her Bonnie. No silly nicknames or terms of endearment. And his smile was entirely without smirk and he wasn’t looking at her like she was something he wanted to pounce, but then she realized she was being rude and pulled herself together. 

“It’s nice to meet you too.” 

“I didn’t know you had any relatives,” Kol said with a look at Ayanna. 

“Distant, distant relatives,” Ayanna corrected and Bonnie nodded her head in vigorous agreement. 

“I could come back later.” 

“Don’t be silly. Have a seat and tell me what’s troubling you,” Ayanna held her hand out for him to join them at the table. 

He had barely sat down before Ayanna was filling a plate for him, which Kol accepted with a grateful smile. Like most teenage boys, he scarfed down the food barely seeming to notice what he was eating. 

“See it’s father and Nik again.” 

Bonnie had some idea what that meant. Judging by the grave look that settled over Ayanna it was. 

“That man,” Ayanna said with a heavy sigh. “Is going to be the death of me.” 

“Can you do something about it?” 

“I suppose, I could give him another dose of calming tea. It might settle him down, but the last dose should have lasted longer,” Ayanna replied thoughtfully. “I worry he is developing an immunity.” 

That didn’t sound good to Bonnie. She had dealt with Mikael and she had no doubt his human self was probably as big a disk as his vampire self. 

“It’s worth a shot. It’s driving Bekah mad and she keeps pestering me about it.” 

“I’ll be by in the morning,” Ayanna promised. “Perhaps Bonnie will accompany me?” 

Bonnie smiled and nodded. She wondered if Kol saw how stiff it was? 

Kol didn’t stay long after that. Though he did linger in the doorway, trying to catch one last glimpse of Bonnie before Ayanna practically had to shove him out the door. 

“It would seem both versions of him are equally intrigued with you, my dear descendant,” Ayanna said with a warm smile. 

Bonnie blushed. “I think you’re misreading future Kol. We don’t really get along to tell you the truth.” 

“I see,” Ayanna said in a tone of voice that implied she didn’t fully believe her. 

XXX 

Kol hadn’t hid far in the woods before his head started to pound. He fell to his knees and clutched his head. It dimly reminded him of the headaches he would sometimes get as a human, but he hadn’t had those for nearly a millennia. And it wasn’t an aneurism those never failed to make him both homicidal and suicidal. This was something else. 

A memory assaulted his brain. It was the first time had seen Bonnie. Except it wasn’t him, it was his human self. In Ayanna’s home, Bonnie had been sitting at the kitchen table. He had never seen anyone as beautiful as her, not once. He stood there like a fool. The rest of the memory in the kitchen came back to him as well. 

Once it was over, Kol could breathe easily. It would seem he had been right. He would go looking everywhere for Bonnie until he found her again. His old self had reacted just as he had predicted he would to the sight of Bonnie. He supposed he shouldn’t be too surprised. In over a thousand years, his taste in women hadn’t changed much. 

The first time he had seen Bonnie at the ball, he had been determined to get to know her better. Now that he was in the position to get to know her, he found himself never wanting to let go of her. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her. Having tasted her blood, he had gotten a sense of her core personality and that only intrigued him further. It however, unfortunately seemed as if Bonnie wanted to get out of here as fast as possible, to get as far away from his as he could. 

He heard his human self leave and it wasn’t long before Bonnie came outside to get him. He followed her back into the kitchen and took a seat the table. Bonnie and Ayanna were once again drinking vervain tea. It must not have registered with Bonnie, but if she was drinking the stuff then he would have to find another blood source for a couple of days. Fortunately, he was an old vampire and he could smell a human that ingested vervain. Unlike most of the younger ones, who couldn’t even tell a witch from a human. 

Ayanna fixed him with a piercing stare. “Since your human self has seen Bonnie she can stay in my guest room. You can return in the morning as planned. Until I know more I won’t have a creature such as your self sleeping under my roof.” 

Now there was a precaution he could understand. Too bad, Ayanna had already given him the invite. Correcting her however, might just get him hexed and result in a withdrawal of her help. 

“Very well,” Kol replied. “When you contact the spirits, I presume you will not involve Bonnie?” 

“Why not?” Bonnie demanded. 

“Because it’s dangerous magic. Direct communication requires years of training otherwise you risk possession.” 

“But I’ve done that,” Bonnie said. “I’ve talked to them and channelled their power.” 

“Have you had training in that particular branch of magic?” 

“No.” 

“Then you are very lucky to be alive,” Ayanna stated. “Who is the careless witch responsible for your education?” 

“My Grams and she isn’t careless. She’s dead.” 

“I’m sorry,” Ayanna said looking as if for all the world she meant it. 

“We also have another problem,” Kol said knowing Bonnie would never volunteer this bit of information unless forced too. 

“I am certain you. The two of you seem to have nothing except problems.” 

“Bonnie can’t use her magic here.” 

Ayanna nodded. “That’s to be expected. You channel nature do you not, child?” 

“Yes.” 

“You are simply out of tune with the nature here and the spirits in it. Once they are familiar with you and you with them again, you will be back to normal. In the meantime, some meditation and time outdoors may help.” 

Kol left soon after. He was surprised when Bonnie followed him outside. She closed the door and walked a little way away from the house. She looked anxious and like she didn’t want Ayanna to overhear. 

“Can I trust her?” 

“She’s your family.” 

“And my family in the 21st century is a mess, so I’ll ask again, can I trust her?” 

Kol contemplated his next words carefully. “I don’t know if it makes it better or worse for you, but I trust her. Ayanna’s focus has always been to serve nature. If we are here, then nature is out of balance. But if she can’t find a way to send us back, she might try to kill us to restore the balance.” 

“Our goal aligns with hers.” 

“Precisely,” he flashed a smile. “I won’t go far, little witch. Scream if you need me.” 

Kol stood there just studying her for a moment. Then before he could talk himself out of it, he did something he had never done before. He kissed her on the cheek. It was a soft, innocent kiss. He heard Bonnie’s heart skip a beat and how she gasped in surprised. He wasn’t surprised when she furiously shoved his chest. 

“Get the hell off me, you lunatic!” she cried hitting his chest. 

Kol chuckled, winked at her and vampire ran away. 

XXX 

Bonnie was still fuming when she went back into Ayanna’s cabin. Ayanna was waiting for her in the kitchen. 

“Now, child are you prepared to finally tell me what sort of creature Kol has become? What precisely is a vampire?” 

Bonnie was ready. Her face was a determined mask and she nodded. 

“Kol and the rest of his family are vampires. The first. They feed on human blood and kill. They’re deadly and they are currently terrorizing my hometown.” 

“You were on opposite sides when you were brought here.” 

Bonnie explained how Esther was trying to kill the Originals. 

“I can’t kill them, but I don’t think I can let them turn either, you know?” 

“I know, child,” Ayanna’s grave expression matched hers. “I think I have just the solution.”


	5. Chapter 5

Bonnie lay awake for most of the night. She could hear winds and whispers coming from the other room. The magic thrummed and rattled her bones. Whatever communication Ayanna had going with the spirits, it was powerful. 

Eventually, she fell into a restless sleep. She woke the next morning because she sensed she wasn’t alone. When she woke, she saw how right she was. Kol was lurking in the corner of her room. She froze and he held a finger in front of his lips. He nodded his head toward the window. Catching on, she nodded her agreement. 

Kol went out the window first and helped lift her out. Once they were hidden among the trees, he flashed a wicked smile. 

“What did you and Ayanna discuss after I left last night?” 

“Nothing.” 

He cocked his head to the side with a knowing look. Crap, he probably didn’t believe her again. 

“Tell me.” 

“It was nothing.”  
Bonnie turned to leave. He caught her wrist and turned her around to face him. 

“You like me.” 

“No, I really don’t,” she exclaimed taken aback by the confidence in his voice. 

“I meant my human self,” he said as if it was obvious. “I’m not stupid, little witch. I’m well aware you rather detest me in my current state,” his lips curled into a teasing smile. “I must confess though I’m delightfully surprised you fancy him.” 

“Oh my God.” 

Bonnie pulled her arm free and went back to the bedroom. 

After breakfast, she went with Ayanna to the Mikaelsons. It was pleasant to walk through the village and see all the people going about their daily lives. There was something soothing and familiar about it that made her think Mystic Falls hadn’t changed that much in a thousand years after all. 

“Tell me, Bonnie are there many of my descendants left in your time?” 

“No, I’m one of the last,” Bonnie answered with a feeling of guilt. 

“Oh,” Ayanna sighed. “That’s not what I hoped to hear.” 

“No, it’s not really what I want either.” 

“Promise me something, Bonnie when you get back to your own time no matter how it happens, swear to me that you will stay out of vampire business.” 

“How did you –” Bonnie faltered and stared at her in shock. 

“The spirits told me a lot of things such as how to get you back and why you were here. Their kind is nothing but trouble.” 

“I promise.” 

“Good,” Ayanna nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.” 

Bonnie smiled. She knew Ayanna was just looking out for her family line like any good witch, but it felt nice to have someone care about her. Even if it was in a kind of abstract we’re blood so I care even if I don’t really know you way. 

“How do we get back?” 

“You’ll have to go through several portals. I don’t have the kind of magic to send you back and even if I did opening another such a powerful portent in one location, it could destroy everything in the vicinity including the traveler.” 

Bonnie gaped at her again. “That bitch!” she hissed. “Esther hadn’t been concerned with whether or not she actually got back as long as she did her dirty work for her.  
“I presume you mean, Esther?” 

“Yes,” Bonnie hissed seething with rage. 

Ayanna chuckled. “Better get ahold of yourself, honey. We’re about to come face to face with her in a minute.” 

Bonnie took several deep breaths. 

The house that the Mikaelsons lived in was twice the size of Ayanna’s place. There was a garden out front where Kol and Elijah were teaching a younger boy to fight with swords. There was a lot of laughter coming from all three boys. Bonnie smiled when she saw how Kol playfully jabbed at the younger boy. 

“Ayanna!” the kid whooped and hollered. He threw the sword to the side and came running at them. 

“Henrik,” Ayanna said with a fond smile. 

She embraced the boy. 

So this was the famous Henrik, Bonnie thought. He was sweet. She could see why Esther would go out of her mind with grief over losing him. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen, but he had an innocence about him that made him seem younger. Yet he had already started to fill in. He was both tall and broad across the shoulders. His hair was a few shades darker than Elijah’s and his dark brown eyes danced with life. If Bonnie had to guess in a few year’s time she would be looking at someone, who looked almost exactly like Kol. 

“Bonnie,” Kol greeted with a smile. He tucked his sword away in his belt and sauntered over to join his brother. “Good morning.” 

“Good morning. Are you practicing?” she nodded to the sword. 

“Yes, Bekah has been begging to learn, but father doesn’t think sword fighting is for girls.” 

Bonnie felt her temper flare to life. “He’s wrong.” 

“I agree,” he lowered his voice to a hush. “So I’ve been teaching Bekah on the sly,” he added with a wink that made Bonnie blush. 

She liked human Kol. He wasn’t a psycho. 

“Sounds like fun.” 

“It is.” 

“Maybe,” Bonnie hesitated before asking. If Kol knew she was spending time with his human self, he might go completely batshit on her, but at the same time she was unable to stop herself. “Maybe you could teach me a little some time?” 

Kol’s smile was dazzling. “Sure. What about tonight?” 

“Tonight,” Bonnie glanced at Ayanna and saw the woman gave her a nod. “Tonight is good.” 

“Great. I’ll meet you at the edge of the forest.” 

Bonnie smiled. She had thought she would spend the night meditating and trying to connect to nature here, but this prospect appealed to her more. She had to learn to use her magic in this time, she knew that, but she also wanted to learn to fight. If she could kick a little ass the non-magic way, she should be able to deal with Kol without much problem. After all, in this time there was only one Original running around. Not a whole family of them. 

Bonnie and Ayanna were invited in for tea. While Esther bustled around the kitchen, Mikael barked at his children for various behavior that as far as Bonnie could tell wasn’t serious. Like when Henrik tugged Rebekah’s hair and she hit him back. 

“ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU!” 

As Mikael turned to rage, Ayanna slipped something unnoticeable into his tea. He took a sip and sputtered. 

“Bonnie, tell me how long are you visiting?” Elijah asked. 

“Why aren’t you working?” Mikael growled. 

“We have guests,” Finn said. “I’m sure we all wish to become acquainted with a relative of Ayanna.” 

Klaus was sitting on the outskirts of the table and the family. He seemed to be trying to be as unnoticed by his father as possible. 

“Yes, well that’s all well and fine,” Mikael grunted. “But we are fighting for our survival here.” 

Esther tensed. 

“Don’t be melodramatic,” Ayanna said in disapproving tones. “You can take an hour or two off, I doubt catastrophe will strike.” 

“Surrounded by fools,” Mikael muttered under his breath. “Women.” 

Rebekah hung her head. Kol looked ashamed and Bonnie shot him what she hoped was a sympathetic smile, but she had the feeling it came out as more of a grimace than anything else. If this was what Mikael was like as a human, no wonder his kids were all insane. 

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be in Mystic Falls,” Bonnie replied to Elijah. 

“Hopefully we will be seeing more of you before you leave,” Elijah’s smile was friendly and even warm by his usual standards. 

“That would be nice.” 

“It’s high time you found a suitable match, Elijah. You as well Finn,” Mikael grunted. “I was thinking perhaps the girl a few houses down?” 

Finn’s composed expression closed off even more. He nodded, but averted his eyes. Esther went past him and affectionately ruffled his hair. 

“Our Finn is already courting a girl,” Esther said pride coloring her voice. 

“Yes, and if it moved any slower it would never happen. And you Elijah,” he shot a disapproving glare at him. “Still chasing Tatiana?” 

“Tatiana?” Elijah’s expression was incredulous. “No, don’t be absurd.” 

Tatiana, Bonnie racked her brain. Then it came to her. The first doppelganger. She looked more closely at Elijah and wondered to herself if he was being entirely truthful. According to the Salvatore brothers both Elijah and Klaus had pursued her. Judging by the look on Klaus’s face he was both furious and suspicious. She made a mental note to ask Kol about it later. 

“Ayanna since you are here,” Esther said in what was a blatant attempt to change the subject. “I have a spell that I need your assistance on. It’s a simple healing draft for common colds, but something isn’t quite right.” 

“We’ll have a look at it after tea,” Ayanna replied kindly. 

Bonnie noticed Mikael’s eyes were closing and he appeared to be dozing off.  
“Dear, why don’t you lie down for a moment? You look a little tired,” Esther said in a soft concerned voice that Bonnie felt sure was an act. 

So this was how they coped the domineering tyrant. They drugged him with something to make him more mellow. It was in truth, ingenious if a little unethical. 

“Yes, yes, I think I will do that. You boy,” Mikael turned to point at Klaus before he left the kitchen. “Stay out of trouble and do as your mother says.” 

He left muttering about Klaus being a waste of space and a great disappointment. 

“Well that should settle him down for a few weeks at least,” Ayanna said once he was gone. “I’m assuming that’s the problem you wanted to look at?” 

Esther nodded seriously. 

“Father is difficult,” Rebekah said in an embarrassed tone of voice and her eyes were down. 

In their own time, Bonnie had never seen Rebekah look embarrassed. Angry, sad and irritatingly happy, but not once had she seen her embarrassed. 

“I understand,” Bonnie said feeling as uncomfortable as everyone else in the room. 

“Bonnie, you should go back home while we work on this,” Ayanna suggested. 

“I’ll escort her,” Elijah volunteered just as Kol had begun to set up. 

“I don’t need an escort,” Bonnie said. “Really, you don’t need to go to any trouble for me.” 

“It’s no trouble.” 

Bonnie bit back a groan. She wasn’t Elijah’s biggest fan in the future and she didn’t see how she could like his human counterpart, but then again she had been surprised by how much she liked human Kol. Something she was pretty sure would irritate vampire Kol. 

Caught in the situation, Bonnie let Elijah walk her home. He talked about the village and how they had travelled over from Scandinavia as Vikings. It was something Rebekah had once hinted at in history class. It was actually weird to see it in practice, but Elijah made it sound interesting. 

“I don’t remember much about the voyage in truth, but I remember it was a relief to see land.” 

Bonnie laughed. “I can only imagine.” 

“You know, I had no idea Ayanna had relatives that came to the New World before her. Where are you based?” 

Bonnie almost panicked. “I don’t think she talks about it much because we haven’t seen her in years.” 

Bonnie hoped that was a believable lie, but the truth was she had no idea where Ayanna came from originally. She had heard of her European family, but that was back before the witch burnings in Medieval times. Her Grams had told her the Bennett family line was ancient and filled with powerful witches since pretty much the dawn of time, but she had never mentioned any relatives this far back. Maybe the knowledge about her had been lost? After all, a thousand years was a long time and it wasn’t like any of her ancestors were vampires. 

“I see,” Elijah nodded. 

He didn’t seem like he was questioning her story. One thing she was sure about, Elijah’s human self wasn’t suspicious. 

They came to a stop in front of Ayanna’s house. She smiled up at him and took a moment to process how bizarre it was to have a friendly conversation with Elijah. 

“Thank you for walking me.” 

“It was my pleasure. I was hoping perhaps I could see you again sometime?” 

Was human Elijah hitting on her? She was so taken aback she could barely think straight for a moment. 

“I’m staying for a little while longer so I’m sure I will see you around.” 

“Yes, of course.” 

Elijah smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. The touch of his lips was unexpected and surprisingly soft. Before she could say anything in response, he was gone. 

Bonnie went inside and shut the door. She leaned against it and exhaled. 

XXX 

Kol had spent the better part of the morning with a splitting headache as his new memories formed. His human self was certainly as obsessed with her as he was in his present state. When the headaches finally stopped, there was one thing about those memories that cheered him. Bonnie seemed to have no reservations about spending time with his human self. If anything, she seemed to like him. 

The downside was that he found himself strangely jealous of his past self. It was like a gnawing feeling in his chest that he couldn’t shake. 

He heard Bonnie and Elijah approaching the cabin. His blood boiled at the mere idea. With the memories freshly formed, he could clearly recall how frustrating it was when Elijah swooped in and stole his moment with Bonnie. 

He crept around the side of the house to get a look at what happened. When he saw Elijah kiss her cheek, he saw red. What the hell was his older brother playing at? He had forgotten what a callous dick Elijah could be when it came to girlfriends. Whenever his brothers fancied a woman, Elijah made a point of pursuing them. 

Kol was thinking of all the ways he could make Elijah bleed when they finally returned to their own time when a better plan came to mind. He vampire ran into the house to catch up with Bonnie. 

He discovered her leaning against the door. In a wicked move, he flashed in front of her. Bonnie gasped when she realized he was there. She looked up at him and for a split second she looked afraid, the fear didn’t last long. He could see fury settle in her green eyes when they hardened. She raised her chin and glowered at her. 

“What do you want, Kol? And don’t do that!” she shoved on his chest. 

He didn’t notice at first until she got angry and tried to make him budge again. He still didn’t move and looked down at her, unimpressed. 

“Sorry,” he said flashing a wicked smile. 

There was a flicker of disappointment on her face before it vanished. 

“What are you doing?” 

He changed his smile and he tipped his head down. Her breath caught when she saw him studying her lips. He put his hands on either side of her, caging her in. He brushed his cheek along hers and there was no mistaking it this time, her breathing changed. A shiver of warmth coursed through her. 

“Flirting with Elijah are you?” 

“Jealous much?” she snorted. 

“Hardly, he’s much too dull for the likes of you, little witch.” 

Bonnie laughed. “If by boring you mean less psycho then yeah, he is boring.” 

Kol pressed his lips to hers. It was a light kiss, he didn’t want to spook her. She gasped in surprise and he took advantage of that to deepen the kiss. 

Unexpectedly, pain coursed through him. 

Bonnie had bit him. He backed away and stared at her in amazement. He wiped his mouth, there was blood on his upper lip. It was already healing, but he could hardly believed what had just happened. 

XXX 

Bonnie stared at Kol furiously. She wiped the blood from her lips. She had bit his upper lip until she felt it tear, knowing full well he would heal. 

“Never kiss me again!” 

“What the hell, Bonnie? If you want to play rough –” 

Kol never got to finish that sentence, Bonnie slapped him across the face. He had been preoccupied with the lewd comment he was about to make that he didn’t notice until it was too late. It couldn’t have hurt too badly, but he did look stunned. 

“Don’t you ever kiss me again! I’m serious, I might not have my magic back yet, but you aren’t going to push me around!” 

Kol raised his hands. “Very well. Just for clarity, I am still…?” his voice trailed off as he glanced at her neck. 

On instinct, Bonnie covered her neck with her hands. “Yes, because I don’t want you out eating innocent people. Not for any other reason.” 

“Curious,” he cocked his head to the side. “Do you know what blood sharing really means?” 

“Kind of,” she pushed past him. “Now leave me alone you creepy old vampire.” 

“It’s what we’ve been doing, just so you know!” 

Bonnie sighed and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea. She carefully avoided the vervain tea. She had some yesterday and until it was out of her system, Kol would feed on strangers. That was not something she could live with. What if he decided to kill them or the bite got infected? She didn’t want to be complicit in anyone’s death. 

Kol hovered in the doorway. She ignored him, which was surprisingly difficult because everywhere she went, she could feel his eyes drilling holes into the back of her neck. 

“Why didn’t you simply ask me to teach you how to wield a sword? I can assure you I am much more skilled now than I was as a human.” 

Bonnie kept her back to him as she steeped the tea. “Because human you is sane. I don’t know what the hell happened to you, but I don’t trust vampire you.” 

“Yet you trust my human self, how peculiar,” Kol remarked. 

“Just leave it alone, Kol.” 

“I would teach you. I’ve no interest in hurting you. I’ve told you, I fancy you.” 

Bonnie shuddered. “Gross and no. I’m sticking with human you.” 

“You know in less than three months, I will have turned. I wouldn’t go getting too attached were I you, little witch.” 

“I know.” 

For the first time since the conversation started, she turned around and actually faced him. Kol’s stare was even more intense than she had imagined. His eyes were black and hard as flint as he surveyed her, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Take a good long look, darling because this right here is your human boyfriend’s future.” 

Was he jealous of himself? She thought. No, that was stupid and she pushed that thought aside. 

Bonnie felt herself starting to get angry. She liked Kol as a human, they could have been friends. And she didn’t want to see him end up like this. A thousand years into the future and vampire Kol might be past the point of redemption, but the version of Kol that was alive? He didn’t deserve that. 

For the first time, Bonnie felt like she had a real reason to fight while she was here. Something tangible that she could hold onto. Not for her friends back in a future she had no idea if she would ever see or not, but right now she could fight for Kol’s human self. Human Kol was sweet and a poor kid with an over domineering dad, who deserved a chance at a normal life just like her, Caroline and Elena did. Bonnie was going to give it to him whether or not vampire Kol wanted it. 

“Leave me alone,” Bonnie said. 

She poured her tea into a cup. She went outside and sat in the woods with the tea. She tried to get a sense of the earth here. After a while, she could feel her magic inside of her again. When she tried to cast a spell, it still failed, but she felt like a witch again and that made her smile. 

XXX 

Bonnie spent the rest of the day learning how to do work in the kitchen with Ayanna. Kol was out in the forest, chopping wood for Ayanna. 

The older woman gave her a sharp-eyed look. “I noticed today you seem quite fond of this time’s Kol.” 

“I guess I am,” Bonnie begrudgingly admitted. Her cheeks heated. “He’s different from the Kol of my time.” 

“I was thinking of our conversation last night. Do you know the exact event that caused Esther to turn her children into these ‘creatures’?” 

Ayanna still didn’t have a thorough understanding of what a vampire was. She understood it in rough terms, but the only vampire she had ever encountered was Kol and for the time being he was being so well-behaved around Ayanna he came across as harmless. 

The poster boy for Elena and Caroline’s ‘not all vampires are bad’ campaign. 

“I know some,” Bonnie said before launching into an explanation of what happened. She had heard it from Elijah and she wasn’t sure if he had told them everything. 

“Then we need to keep an eye on Niklaus and Henrik,” Ayanna said firmly. “Perhaps I can impress upon him the dangers of werewolves?” 

“Have you met Klaus? You tell him to do something and he’s going to do the opposite. Besides, he’s a teenage boy now. If you tell them something is dangerous they run head first into it.” 

“A what now?” Ayanna blinked in confusion. 

Right, teenagers wasn’t a concept in this time. People went from child to adult and lived such short lives, it was hard for her to comprehend. 

“Just trust me, that won’t work. Our best bet is to have Kol spy on them and hopefully he can stop them before they do something stupid. Assuming I can convince him,” she said thoughtfully, but she thought she had a way to convince him. 

“Vampires are more powerful than werewolves?” 

“Depends on the time of month and a werewolf bite is lethal to most vampires, but it won’t kill Kol.” 

“How curious,” Ayanna’s tone of voice was thoughtful. “I have been working on a spell, but I had no idea those would be the consequences. These Original vampires sound extraordinary. Are you certain they are evil?” 

“Oh, I am totally sure,” Bonnie said without hesitation. “Trust me on that too. They are nothing but trouble.” 

“Even Kol? You seem close.” 

“That’s a necessity. Nothing more, but he’s not as bad as the rest of his siblings. From what I can tell he doesn’t ever have any larger evil schemes than most vampires. Unlike Klaus, who wants to take over the world.” 

“Niklaus? Are you certain?” 

“Look, I saw what he was like as a human today, but that’s not the Klaus I know.” 

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” 

“Just trust me, Ayanna,” Bonnie pleaded. “And I know Kol comes across as reasonable, but vampires are bad and honestly seeing him as a human? It makes me kind of sad to see what he turns into.” 

“Well speaking of human Kol,” Ayanna said with an amused twist of her lips. “You should go meet him. I believe you have a date.” 

“It’s not a date,” Bonnie said getting to her feet. 

She walked to Kol’s family house. Only, she never made it the entire way there. Kol was lurking on the outskirts of the village. He waved her over. Sighing, Bonnie went to meet with him.  
“What do you want?” 

“Me?” he pointed to himself. “What do you think you are doing?” 

“Going to learn how to use a sword.” 

“I told you, I’d teach you. No need to bother my human version.” 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather learn from the version of you that won’t stab me. And why do you even care?” 

“Bonnie, seriously,” Kol said with a pained look on his face. “Every time you change something, I get a new memory and it’s not a pleasant sensation.” 

“I’m sorry, but I’m going.” 

Bonnie could hear Kol growling behind her as she walked away from him. What was it with vampires and making creepy noises that only belonged in a horror movie? 

The human Kol was outside of his house. He shook his head when she approached and nodded toward the woods. She followed him into a clearing a little ways from the house. 

He had a sword hanging from his waist and one on his back. Bonnie watched him curiously as he stalked around the clearing looking for something or someone. 

“What are you doing?” Bonnie asked at last. 

“Just checking to ensure my father isn’t around. He won’t like that I am teaching you. He shouldn’t find us here though. It’s where I taught Rebekah.” 

“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Bonnie said having doubts. Maybe she should have asked vampire Kol? It wasn’t like his dad was actually still alive, technically. 

“It’s alright, I happen to love trouble.” 

Bonnie laughed and looked down at her feet. He was cute and so different from his future self. Yet they both liked trouble. So far it was the only thing they had in common. 

“If you get into trouble, I’m sure Ayanna will tell your father she asked you to teach me.” 

“With a little luck, he’ll never know,” Kol winked at her. “We’re going to start simple, you’re not ready for a real sword.” 

Kol passed her a wooden stick, shaped like a sword. Bonnie stared at it in disappointment. It hadn’t occurred to her before now that learning to fight with a sword was probably going to be a time consuming activity. One she might not have time to learn before she left. Unless, she succeeded in keeping Kol human. Then she might not be able to return to her own time or she would return with vampire Kol. She couldn’t say, which alternative filled her with more sadness. 

Kol spent the next hour showing her to hold the sword. He made some adjustments to his technique because she was smaller and no matter how much she trained, she probably wouldn’t be able to match her in body strength. He was also surprised by how much weaker than her sister, she was. 

“You don’t do a lot of manual labour where you come from?” Kol asked looking at her hands. 

“No, I don’t,” Bonnie said grimacing. She really hoped he wouldn’t ask anymore questions because she had no idea how to explain that to him. Were scholars a thing in North America a thousand years in the past? Or fancy ladies, who sat at home all day eating bon bons and attending balls? Her instinct was no, but she didn’t know enough about the time period to say with any certainty. This predated anything they had learned about in school. 

Kol put his hands on hers, adjusting her grip. “You swing like this.” 

He guided her arms to make a slashing move in mid-air. “So I’d cut the opponent across the torso?” 

“Depending on his or her height, yes,” he agreed. “Never stab unless you are certain you will be able to withdraw your sword. They do stick.” 

“Have you ever used a sword like for real?” 

Kol shook his head. “Never had cause to. People in Mystic Falls help each other out. I know it’s not like that everywhere, but here we are a community.” 

Bonnie smiled. That sounded nice. Then something else occurred to her. It was named Mystic Falls back now too? How strange, one of the vampires in the town must have given the new settlement the town’s original name. 

Kol showed her some more moves until every muscle in her body was sore. He passed her a water skin and she drank for so long she was embarrassed when she put it down. 

“Sword fighting is hard work.” 

“You’ll get there,” he told her with an easy smile. Embarrassed he ran his hand through his hair. It was all dishevelled from their practice. “The more we practice the stronger you will become.” 

“Thanks for doing this,” Bonnie said meaning it. 

“It was my pleasure,” he blushed when he realized what he had said. “I should get you back.” 

Bonnie looked at the sky and saw it was starting to get dark. “Yes, I suppose Ayanna will be wondering where I am.” 

“I have some time at dawn tomorrow, if you are free?” 

“Sure, I would like that.” 

Kol walked her home. Their arms kept bumping into each other and each time they did, electricity and warmth shot through Bonnie. Human Kol was a lot warmer than his vampire self. Vampires tended to be more room temperature, Bonnie had noticed thanks to Stefan and Caroline.  
Caroline, if she pulled this off, Caroline would never turn. She would get to live her life as a human girl. Sure, being turned into a vampire had made her a better person, but this way, she would get to lead a normal mortal life. Grow old, have children and die surrounded by her family. The way it was supposed to be. 

They stopped in front of Ayanna’s house. Kol flashed her an uncertain smile. He was so different as a human, less confident and a lot less polished. She found it endearing. 

“Thank you for walking me home, Kol.” 

“It was no trouble. I’ll meet you here tomorrow, if that’s alright by you?” 

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.” 

There was nothing uncertain about his smile now and he blushed. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. It was so long now compared to his future self. Bonnie found it endearing, she also found herself wanting to run her fingers through it. An impulse she squashed. 

XXX 

Kol was jealous of himself, which was both so pitiful and ridiculous that he didn’t know whether to scream or laugh. He had spent most of the evening with his head in splitting pain. He saw all of his past self’s interactions with Bonnie. It was torture of the sweetest kind. Bonnie liked him as a human, he could see it in the way she smiled at him, how she let her guard down. She laughed and made jokes. Trusted him enough to allow him casual physical contact and to let him touch her when he showed her how to use a sword. 

If only he could get Bonnie to trust him the same way. Somehow, he doubted it was possible. Since his human days, he had turned into a monster. Kol was the first to embrace his vampiric nature and he had loved every second of it. He killed without remorse, tortured if someone vexed him and he had perfected the art of psychological torture, which often inflicted more pain that physical violence. 

However, these were all things he knew would never appeal to someone like Bonnie. She was innocent and pure. She tried to help people, even her friends, who as far as he could tell did not deserve it. The Salvatores were supposedly on her side and they’d had no qualms about turning her mother. Had not hesitated for more than a split second. Not for the first time, Kol found himself wondering if her friends especially the vampires weren’t simply using her for her power. The way vampires always used witches. 

Kol respected witches, he enjoyed their company. He had spent more time in the past thousand years consorting with witches than with his own kind. Some were like Bonnie trying to use their power to protect others. Some were darker and more like vampires. Embracing their power and taking anything they could with it. 

If Bonnie had been like those witches, she would have started to fall for him already. But she wasn’t and Kol knew that meant he needed to take a different approach. Because even though she used her powers to help people, she wasn’t the kind to overlook his true nature. She was also did not seem to like vampires or trust them. He was certain the only reason she wasn’t trying to kill him was because she was stuck here and they both wanted to go home. 

He waited for her in the bedroom. It was getting late and he had seen in the memory that she was starting to get tired. He knew she would be in soon. 

And she was. 

Almost as soon as she had left his human self, she turned up in the bedroom. He was hidden in a dark corner and he was hoping to spook her. It was immature, but he thought it might be funny. 

“Hello Kol,” she said in a calm voice. “Lurking?” 

He stepped out of the shadows with a mischievous smile. “How did you know?” 

She shrugged. “Sensed your presence.” 

“Your magic is back?” 

“It’s getting there,” another shrug. 

She looked tired. Her eyes were half-closed and her shoulders were hunched forward. 

“Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” she snapped. 

Abruptly, her hard green eyes were alert as she glared at him. He held his hands up deferentially. 

“You did well today.” 

“Don’t use your memories to spy on me or I’ll set you on fire the second my magic fully returns.” 

He had no doubt she meant it. 

Kol watched in amazement when Bonnie collapsed on the bed. She fell asleep almost instantly and snored softly. He smiled and laid down next to her. He was careful not to touch her. He was fairly certain if she woke in the night, she would shove him onto the floor, but it was a risk he was willing to take. 

XXX 

Bonnie woke slowly the next morning. She heard Kol’s soft breathing and when she rolled over to sleep for a few more minutes, she felt something hard in the bed next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Kol sleeping soundly next to her. 

Furiously, she kicked him. He jerked awake and his vampire face emerged. Until he saw it was just her and then it vanished. He rubbed his shin where she had kicked him and shot her a wounded look befitting of a puppy dog. 

“What could I have possibly done to incur your wrath before I even woke, little witch?” 

“Like you don’t know!” she hissed between clenched teeth. 

“Suppose I should have asked however, you were asleep before you hit the bed.” 

“That’s such a lame excuse.” 

“I know,” he smirked. “I’m sorry.” 

“Fine. Just don’t do it again because when my magic comes back, I won’t kick you, I’ll set the bed on fire.” 

“Again with the fire, your threats are so visceral. I have to say, it’s a turn on.” 

“Gross,” she wrinkled her nose. “And I know Original vampires can’t die, but I’m pretty sure being set on fire hurts.” 

“It does. Takes a little longer to heal from as well.” 

“Good.” 

She crossed her arms and glared at him, waiting. 

“Yes?” 

“Move. I have to meet past you soon.” 

“Must you? I can teach you –” 

“I’d rather have a teacher I trust.” 

“You trust me enough to bloodshare.” 

She blushed. That had been unexpectedly intimate and just the memory of it made heat flare up in her. It was embarrassing that the act affected her like that when it should have revolted her. The idea of having a vampire drink her blood and drinking his, well it was gross to say the least, but in the moment it hadn’t felt gross. 

“Speaking of,” he looked down and then up again with a heated look. “I haven’t fed in a few days now.” 

“Is this your polite way of telling me you’re about to become homicidal?” 

“Yes,” he said with a wicked smile. 

“Fine. Just don’t kill me.” 

Kol’s fingers brushed her cheek. She flushed and looked away. Slowly, he moved his hand along her cheekbone and stopped when he came to her hair. He ran his fingers through it in a light caress. 

“I’d never kill you, little witch.” 

Her breathing was shaky. And Kol’s eyes had almost turned black with intense need. Probably for blood, she told herself in an effort to calm her erratic heartbeat. 

“You’ve tried once before.” 

“I give you my word, that will never happen again.” 

“Your word?” she knew what that meant to the Originals. 

“My word,” he agreed and for once he was completely serious. 

The rare occasions she had seen him this serious in the past was when he was furious and homicidal. 

Bonnie nodded. She brushed the hair away from her neck. Then she held her breath, tensing, waiting. 

Kol’s vampire face appeared again. His fangs extended, veins appeared underneath his eyes. And his dark eyes turned entirely black, like onyx stone. 

A part of her tensed when she was waiting for him to bite her. Like last time, his lips brushed her skin first. She shivered in anticipation and felt him smile. He pressed his lips to her throat, he kissed her and she jumped in surprise. 

Kol chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He ran his hands along her back and she realized it didn’t feel like he was going to bite her, it felt like seduction. His lips ran along her throat until he came to her earlobe. He nipped on it and she gasped in surprise. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he whispered. 

Bonnie seriously thought about it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do this after all because right now she was feeling things for Kol, she shouldn’t feel. Unfortunately, her protective urge to keep the villagers safe overrode her own instincts. 

“Yes.” 

“Little witch,” he ran his lips along the shell of her ear. She could feel his breath on her skin and she shivered. 

Kol moved his head away for a minute. One hand tangled into her hair at the nape of her neck and she gripped his shoulders. His arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her onto his lap. 

Gently, almost lovingly, he bit into her throat. It wasn’t rough or forced, his fangs were so sharp it happened easily. All the same, she felt the same pinpricks of pain as the last time. Her eyes closed and she let herself relax into the feeling. 

The more she relaxed, the less it hurt until pure pleasure was washing over her. She heard a woman moan, but it sounded far away. Pleasure racked up inside of her until she was too hot and her core ached. She had never felt anything like it, it was euphoria. 

All too soon, Kol pulled away. She whimpered and clung to him. 

“Shh, little witch. Hush now, sweetheart,” his voice was nothing more than a gentle whisper. 

She opened her eyes. The sunlight that was pouring in from the window felt too bright. She looked away and when she looked up at Kol, his outline was hazy. She saw it dimly when he bit into his wrist. He pressed it to her lips. His face went back to normal. 

His blood tasted like copper and power. Once again, she could feel his ancient aura. He was old, powerful and there was magic in his blood. Different than her magic, it wasn’t a part of him, something he could use. Instead, it was wrapped into his being. It was a part of what sustained him, had turned him from a warlock into an immortal. 

Kol hummed something under his breath and stroked her hair. He cradled her in his arms, holding her against his chest. His lips pressed to her forehead and some part of her mind was aware he was kissing her. It was a chaste kiss, but a kiss all the same. 

After a few minutes, he pulled his wrist away. It had already healed. 

Bonnie’s head spun, but she touched her neck and the puncture wound was gone. It hadn’t occurred to her before, but it did now, he gave her more blood than was necessary to heal her. At least, she thought he did. When Damon and Stefan had healed people in front of her in the past for such minor wounds, it only took seconds. 

The door opened and Ayanna stepped inside. Seeing them both covered in blood, she froze in the doorway, an expression of horror on her face. 

“You’re – you’re a monster,” Ayanna whispered. She covered her mouth with a hand. 

“I’m a vampire, darling,” Kol said in his usual arrogant way. 

“Kol,” Bonnie whispered. She got off his lap and turned a deep shade of red. “Look, Ayanna, vampires need blood to survive, but it can also heal people. So I let Kol feed from me until we get back. In our time, there are ways for vampires to drink blood without having to feed from a human, but right now that’s not an option.” 

Ayanna’s eyes narrowed and she still looked disgusted, but she nodded. “You’ll want to clean up Bonnie. The human Kol is in the kitchen.” 

“Oh my God,” she hit her head. “I forgot.” 

She rushed outside. Ayanna always kept a pail of fresh water out behind the shack to clean up in quickly. She washed her neck and watched as the water turned red. A shadow fell over her and she looked up only to see vampire Kol. She knew it was him because there was still blood on his lips. 

He took the cloth she was using to clean herself up with from her. He wiped the blood from her forehead. It took her a moment to realize why it was there and finally, she remembered he had kissed her forehead. The memory made her blush again. 

“I have to go.” 

“Guess I’ll spend the morning with another migraine.” 

“It’s good for you, it’ll remind you, you were once human,” she told him with a smile. “I’ll see you after.” 

Hastily, she braided her hair. 

“Actually, you’ll be seeing me in a minute.” 

“Was that an actual joke?” she said cracking a smile. 

“I guess it was. Don’t get too attached, little witch. We’re going home and I’m staying the way I am.” 

She sighed and looked up at him. If she had it her way, he wouldn’t. 

Kol tugged on her braid. His fingers lingered on the braid and let his hand linger on her shoulder, warmth seemed to permeate her body, radiating from his hand. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“I mean it, little witch. I’d hate to see you broken hearted,” he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

When Bonnie went around to the front of Ayanna’s home, Kol was waiting for her. The human Kol. He was lounging against the side of the house. Just the sight of him was enough to make her smile and that surprised her. Maybe vampire Kol was right and she was starting to like him, but was that such a bad thing? Human Kol was fun and sweet. 

“You look nice,” he said turning red. 

Bonnie liked this version of Kol. Screw it, if she was going to crush on him, she might as well go all in. When she was done with her plan here, she didn’t think she could make it home anyway. Esther had made sure of that. She didn’t mind staying if it saved the world from vampires. 

“Thank you.” 

Kol led the way and she followed him. She didn’t know the forests here as well as he did. In her own time, there were roads leading in and out to all of the areas like the falls. Without them, she felt lost. And at the same time, she liked it. She loved how wild and different things were here. Nature ran free and the people lived in harmony with it. 

“Does your dad know you’re spending time with me?” 

“Yes.” 

“What does he think we’re doing?” 

Kol turned red and looked away. 

“He thinks I’m courting you.” 

“Oh,” Bonnie grinned and looked down at her shoes. “Are you?” 

“Would that be alright with you?” 

“Yes.” 

Kol smiled and it was dazzling. It was a smile that made her heart beat faster and warmth spread through her body. 

There was a tentative touch on her hand. She glanced down and saw it was his hand. She moved her hand into his and he wrapped his hand around hers. She blushed when she realized, vampire Kol would see this is in his memories. 

Then she decided, she didn’t care. He could think what he liked, but she wasn’t going to not do something just because he disapproved. 

Once they reached the clearing Kol handed her the wood sword. Today, he asked her to show him what she remembered from the day before. 

Bonnie was pleased when he told her she was holding the sword right. He also showed her a couple of new things. He showed her how to block. 

He went behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He put his hands on hers and guided her through the movements. His body was warm and she could feel his hard muscles. He was tall and leaner than Jeremy. She was surprised by how much better she liked his frame, it was more natural. His hands were calloused and it made sparks of electricity shoot through her body. 

“See like this,” he said guiding the sword to above her head. “But if you’re blocking a lower blow,” he moved the sword down toward her hips. 

“I think I get it,” she said and blushed when she heard how breathy her voice was. 

Bonnie turned her head to the side to look at him. Kol was watching her. His hazel eyes had gone black with intensity and if it wasn’t for his hair, she could have sworn he was his vampire self. Her breath caught and his eyes fell to her lips. 

She waited with bated breath. He moved closer and she met him halfway. When their lips met, heat exploded inside of her. The kiss was gentle almost tentative. She pressed her lips more firmly against his. He deepened the kiss and she sunk into it. 

The kiss was gentle. All lips and it stole her breath away. She felt like she was floating and heat spread through her body until there were butterflies in her stomach and other lower, more interesting places. She had never felt anything like this before. 

When they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily. 

“I think that’s enough training for today,” Kol said in a husky voice that made her insides do sommersaults. 

“I think so too.” 

“Want to go for a walk?” 

She nodded. 

Kol led her to the falls. They were beautiful and as always she took a moment, to just savor their beauty. The sun was scorching hot today and she fanned her face. Sweat was trickling down her body. 

The water of the lake looked cool and tempting. She raised her skirts and stepped in. she let the cold water wash over her feet and sighed, she closed her eyes. She was half-tempted to go for a swim. Growing up, she had spent a lot of summers swimming at the falls. She used to go with Caroline and Elena all of the time. matt and Tyler would come to. After the Salvatores came to town, all of those memories felt so far away. This summer, they hadn’t gone at all. They had been too busy fighting for their lives. 

She really wanted to go for a swim, but seeing the way people dressed here in this time, she doubted she could strip off to the slip she was wearing underneath without causing a scandal. She wasn’t even wearing a bra, instead the dress was tailored to keep everything in place. 

She looked over her shoulder and saw Kol was taking off his shirt. She was shocked, she hadn’t thought this would be acceptable. 

“What are you doing?” 

Kol who was still halfway out his shirt, looked over in surprise. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m going for a swim.” 

Now that sounded like the vampire Kol she knew. She blushed when she saw how tall and fit he was. He had a six pack and his shoulders and arms were well-muscled. She had seen some of the work that the people in the village did and she knew they were muscles from hard work, not from hitting the gym. 

Kol tossed his shirt aside and climbed the rocky hill surrounding the water. He dove in, he resurfaced with a broad grin. He swam toward her and walked the rest of the way. He shook the water out of his eyes and droplets hit her. She got back on the shore and he followed. 

“The water is nice, you should come in,” Kol suggested with a goofy grin. 

She thought about it, chewing on her bottom lip. She was fairly certain if someone stumbled onto the two of them swimming together alone, there would be a scandal. 

“No one else is going to come by, right?” 

“No, I doubt it.” 

She grinned. “In that case, I’d love to go for a swim.” 

Kol turned around and went back in the water. She could hear him splashing around. She noticed he was purposefully not looking as she took off her dress. Underneath, she was wearing a full-length white slip. It would be see through when she went into the water, but she didn’t mind because she was wearing panties. She knew things were different here, but she didn’t feel exposed in this outfit. It still had a lot more fabric than the outfits she normally wore when she went swimming. 

She hurried to the same place Kol had jumped in. it was a spot a lot of the students at Mystic Falls high used as well to dive into the water. It was strange to think that a thousand years and this one place was still the same. 

She closed her eyes, held her breath and jumped in the water. She hit the water with a splash and felt the cold water rush over her. She swam to the surface, it was harder to swim with the chemise weighing her down, but she managed. 

Kol swam towards her. He wore a broad grin. 

“It’s fun, right?” 

“Yeah,” she pushed her hair out of her face. “The water feels great.” 

“Come on,” Kol jerked his head toward the waterfall. 

He kept pace with her as she swam toward the falls. She was a strong swimmer, she’d been a life guard enough times to have no trouble with the water here. The chemise was giving her some difficulty though and she had a harder time keeping up with Kol than she would have ordinarily. He on the other hand, seemed to have no trouble in his pants. Not that it mattered, he slowed down and matched her pace. 

The swim felt amazing, the cold water was exactly what she needed to cool off in the stifling heat. When they reached the falls, Kol went through first and held her hand as she followed him. It turned out it was lucky because the water pouring down in from the waterfall was heavy. 

Bonnie swam toward the nearest rock and rested her arms and upper body against it. She looked around the dark cave. She and Kol were completely alone, it was like they were in their own little world. 

The cavern was hollow and when she spoke, her voice echoed. 

“Do you do this a lot?” 

“Only when the weather is right and I can get a few hours away from work.” 

“What do you do?” she asked curiously. 

It occurred to her, she had no idea what Kol did for a living. 

“I’m training to be a blacksmith and I’m a hunter.” 

Kol swam next to her, holding onto the rock for support. 

“Really a blacksmith?” she had a heard time believing that. 

The Kol she knew now, working with his hands? The idea made her want to laugh, but she bit back the laugh. 

“Really, it’s actually great.” 

“I’m sure you’ll be amazing at it. You’re not a witch like your mother?” 

“Warlock,” he corrected. “And yes, I am. Ayanna mentioned you’re a witch.” 

“I am, but I’m new to it. I didn’t get my powers until I turned sixteen.” 

“Wow, I came into mine when I was like twelve,” he grinned. “Maybe I can teach you a few spells while you’re here? I’m not very good, but if you’d like we do some spell casting together.” 

“I’d really like that.” 

Bonnie was surprised by how genuine she was in her response. She really wanted to practice her magic now that it was back and the idea of casting with Kol – she hadn’t had someone else to practice with in so long. Not since her Grams and Luka, it would be nice. She wanted to practice with Ayanna, but if the magic she was working to send them home was as dangerous as her and Kol said – it would be best if she just let her do it. 

Bonnie let go of the rock and floated in the water. It felt nice, to just enjoy the cold touch of the lake and to relax. It wasn’t something she did a lot in her own time, hell, she hadn’t even been able to enjoy the Mikaelson ball. And she certainly, hadn’t relaxed since arriving here. 

Kol swam over to her. He tickled her sides. She squawked and clambered to get away, but he caught her wrist. He drew her to him. She kicked with her feet to stay above water. 

His kiss caught her off guard, she hadn’t known it was possible for a normal human to move that fast. She gasped in surprise and he took advantage of that gasp to deepen the kiss. He pulled her closer to her and electricity shot through her as the kiss heated up. It was filled with passion and it made her heart and her blood sing. She wrapped her arms around his neck for support. 

There was a feeling of magic in the air and she knew without knowing how she knew that Kol had cast some kind of spell to keep them afloat. The feeling of his magic in the air drew her own out. Their magical auras mingled in the air surrounding them and Kol pressed her to his body, she molded against him. 

Her heart beat faster when she realized she could feel every line of his strong muscular form when they were soaking wet. She blushed when she realized he could feel all of her figure as well. That thought was quickly scattered from her brain when Kol sucked on her bottom lip. A moan tumbled from her lips and she tangled her fingers into his hair. 

Kol’s hands fixed more firmly on her waist. He pulled her legs to wrap around his hips or tried to, her slip, which was more like a dress got in the way. They broke the kiss, both gasping for breath and her still clinging to him as if he was oxygen. 

When he tried to wrap her legs around his hips again, her dress rode up to the waist aided by the currents of the water. She blushed and Kol immediately started to pull her dress back down. She didn’t mind and wrapped her legs more securely around his hips. In this position, she could feel his hard length pressing against her core and warmth pooled low in her stomach. His hand was still on her dress, gripping her thigh. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” 

“It’s alright,” she said in a breathy voice she didn’t recognize as her own. 

The waves from the waterfall were gently lapping against them and they moved with them, when one crashed their bodies together. They both gasped. She didn’t want him to stop, she wanted him to go on touching her. it was a half-crazed thought that raced through her mind. 

“No, really,” Kol said insistently even though his voice was ragged with need and she felt him stiffen further. His fingers gripped her thigh more tightly as if he was hanging on. “I would never presume –” he looked away. “I mean I’d never – not unless we were wed.” 

Bonnie gaped at him and luckily, his head was turned to the side otherwise he would have seen her shock. There was no way this was Kol. Just no possible way. His future self was obviously a player, probably worse than Damon. Especially, since he was a lot more charming than Damon. 

Finally, she was able to formulate a real response. 

“It’s alright, Kol. Really, I know you didn’t mean – it’s not like anything happened.” 

She cupped his cheek gently and turned his face back to his. She kissed him. This time, it was different. It was slow and gentle, it was all lips and it took her breath away. Warmth spread through her body like wild fire and she rocked against him. His hands went to her hips, his fingers dug in and he held her firmly against him. 

Her hands roamed his back and shoulders, exploring the taught muscles of his exposed skin. His back was warm and his muscles were hard, she felt them ripple underneath her touch. The world melted away until all she heard was the distant sound of the falls and their ragged breathing. All she could feel was Kol. 

It felt like an eternity before the came back to themselves. Kol touched his forehead to hers and his fingers caressed his cheek. His touch was gentle and it made sparks of electricity go through her. she grinned, realizing his magic was leaking out, igniting when he touched her. 

“Hmm,” Bonnie sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. 

His arms wrapped around her back and held her to him. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment. His fingers traced patterns on her back and she could have fallen asleep right then and there, that was how peaceful the moment felt. 

A shiver went through her. 

“Are you cold?” Kol murmured pressing his lips to her forehead. 

First then, did she notice she had goosebumps all over her arms. She ahd been so content, she hadn’t even realized. 

“A little.” 

They swam back to shore. 

XXX 

Elijah was having his morning coffee when Caroline burst into the kitchen. Klaus was trailing behind her. The blonde looked furious and he could understand. No doubt, she was concerned about her friend. 

Curiously enough, Elena was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the Salvatores. Perhaps Caroline was the only one brave enough to enter the Mikaelson home. Something that was amended a moment later when Matt arrived. 

“Where are the others?” Elijah asked politely. 

“The Salvatores are with Abby. They’re keeping an eye on her.” 

“She chose to transition then?” Elijah inquired. 

What happened to Abby had left a bad taste in his mouth for several days. As had his abduction of Elena however, his family’s continued survival took priority over his moral compass. 

“Yes,” Caroline said impatiently. She jerked a thumb toward Niklaus. “He says you know where Bonnie is.” 

“She’s with Kol.” 

“Yeah, we don’t really care where your psycho brother is as long as Bonnie is alright.” 

“We do know,” Elijah sat his coffee odwn on the counter. “Would either of you care for some coffee?” 

Klaus smirked when Caroline and Matt exchanged nonplussed looks. 

“You know Elijah. Manners and propriety come before anything else,” Klaus said. “But it is a little complicated so take a seat.” 

“Did you call them?” Elijah asked Klaus. 

“Yes, days ago, but as Caroline explained she was needed to care for Abby.” 

“Yeah, and Klaus told me Bonnie isn’t any danger?” 

“Yes, we have obtained certain memories from the past,” Elijah explained as the two sat down at the kitchen table. “Our mother seems to have sent Bonnie and Kol to the past.” 

“What?” Matt said. “That’s not possible.” 

“Oh my God,” Caroline breathed. “She wants Bonnei to kill you.” 

“That was our deduction as well,” Elijah said. “However, Bonnie is by all accounts alive and well. As far as I have glimpsed in my memories she is sneaking off with Kol’s human self. No, I don’t have any proof that Kol is actually in the past with Bonnie however, he did follow her through the portal so I believe it is safe to assume he is.” 

“If he hurts her, I’ll kill him,” Matt growled. 

Klaus chuckled. “I’d love to see you try.” 

“Everyone settle down,” Elijah remarked. “Do you think Bonnie would actually murder our family?” 

“She hates all of you,” Matt said without hesitating. “But she’s Bonnie. She wouldn’t kill humans even if they are going to turn into murdering psychos.” 

“He’s right,” Caroline chimed in. “Bonnie would never do it.” 

Elijah nodded. “That is a relief otherwise she and Kol would be at odds. Perhaps this way, they can work together to find a way home.” 

“How do you know she’s actually there?” Caroline asked narrowing her eyes. 

“We all had new memories added painfully and we recognized Bonnie,” Elijah explained. 

“Not to mention, she’s still using her own name,” Klaus remarked with a wink at Caroline. 

“It was her. I spoke to her and she was evasive, which I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now. She belongs here and probably didn’t know how to answer my questions.” 

“History isn’t Bonnie’s best subject,” Caroline explained. 

“And we’ve never studied anything as old as your family,” Matt interjected. “How do we get her back?” 

“I’ll need to contact a witch or two,” Elijah said slowly. “It will be harder without Kol. He’s the one with witch friends. Come back tomorrow morning and I should have more information for you.” 

Elijah hoped his poker face was as good as it had been in the past. He did not think neither Caroline nor Matt would react favorably to hearing his past self had been quite enamoured with Bonnie. The truth was, to this day, he still found her attractive. However, his primary drive back then had been to steal her away from Kol. Back in his early years, he had greatly enjoyed stealing his brother’s girlfriends. Niklaus thought it was something he only did to him, but he was wrong. It was a part of his past, he had been greatly ashamed of. 

XXX 

The sun was still scorching down and as Bonnie emerged from the water, she was acutely aware that her slip was see-through. A quick glance over her shoulder, showed Kol was all too aware of it. He turned red and made sure to keep his eyes away from her. 

She sat down on the grass and let the sun warm her. Their clothes would dry soon. Kol sat down next to her, still keeping his eyes firmly on the water. She grinned and pretended, she didn’t notice how hard he was trying to be a gentleman. It was sweet and it was another thing about him that had changed over the centuries. 

“What do your parents do?” 

“My dad is a –” she almost said businessman then caught herself in time. Once again, she found herself reluctantly impressed by Esther’s language spell. “He’s a merchant and my mom is a healer of sorts. At least she used to, kind of like Ayanna.” 

“So she’s a witch too.” 

It wasn’t a question. 

“Yeah,” Bonnie laid down on the grass. “What about your mom? How long has she been a practicing witch?” 

“Only about ten years. She didn’t even know she had powers until she met Ayanna when we came here. Ayanna trained her, taught her everything. She’s still teaching her.” 

“I’ve heard stories Ayanna is powerful, but I didn’t think she was quite that good.” 

Bonnie had heard from Kol in the future that Ayanna had been a powerful witch, that all of the Bennetts were. However, whenever she talked to anyone else like Esther, Ayanna’s role and that of all the Bennetts was downplayed. She felt a flicker of anger directed toward Katherine, for being the sort of vampire to use Emily and Lucy. And Klaus, he used witches too when it suited him. He had no respect for them at all. 

“Yes, she’s brilliant,” Kol said animatedly. “She can communicate with the spirits and everything. Mom and Rebekah, don’t stand a chance of power like that, but she’s training me to do it.” 

“Is she? That’s great,” Bonnie said meaning it. “Is Klaus a warlock?” 

“No, but he’s really strong,” Kol said in an uncertain voice. “Dad says he’s stronger than he should be.” 

Bonnie had to work hard not to squirm. She knew it was his werewolf genes. 

“Huh,” she said aiming for casual and not sure she managed it. “What about Henrik?” 

“Oh,” Kol laughed. “He can’t cast a spell to save his life, poor kid.” 

Bonnie laughed. “He looked like he was getting good with a sword thought.” 

“Oh, definitely. He’s going to be much better than I am once he’s fully trained.” 

 

 

Bonnie could hear the pride in his voice. Tentatively, he reached for her and laced their fingers together. She squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Lying like this they were so close, it made heat course through her all over her again. 

Kol turned to lay on his side. He smiled at her and his fingers caressed her cheek. She sighed and turned to lay on her side to face him because he put his arms around her. Or he tried to, she had to move to help him accomplish it. This version of Kol was not the smooth player she knew he would become and she found his lack of polished moves disarming. 

She rested her head on his arm and studied his face. He was handsome. He had great bone structure and his hazel eyes were filled with so much life, she felt like she could get lost in them. Those same eyes that were determinedly looking everywhere except her figure. She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. She could feel his smile and ran her hands through his hair. 

Which of course, made her think of her own hair. She touched it hesitantly and realized it was already starting to curl. She would need to talk to Ayanna about how to keep her hair natural in this time period. Not that she in all honesty, knew how to keep it that way even in the future. She had been getting her hair relaxed for years. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

“What a mess my hair is,” she said with an embarrassed grimace. 

“It’s gorgeous,” he told her with a smile. 

His eyes accidentally strayed down and he hastily looked away, turning red. Bonnie giggled, ruffling his hair. 

“It’s alright, Kol. You can look,” she told him in embarrassed whisper.


	7. Chapter 7

“Well there now, settle down, boy.” 

The fifth man punched Kol in the stomach. He grunted and slouched forward, but the two men restraining him didn’t let go. 

“No need to get your panties in a bunch, we’re not going to hurt that pretty little girlfriend of yours. She doesn’t seem like the kind of woman, who turns down male company does she?” 

Bonnie felt sick. 

"Not from what we just saw the slut doing with her demon warlock," one of the other men said with a barking laugh. 

He ran the sword tip down her chest. Not with enough pressure to cut either her or the dress, but the threat was implied. 

“If you touch as much as a hair on her head, I’ll kill you!” 

The men laughed. 

A sixth man joined them. He was holding some kind of crystal in his hand. It glowed and pulsated. It had to be what was blocking their magic. Kol tried to wrest himself free and only succeeded in getting himself punched in the stomach. 

“Kol, don’t!” she cried. 

“Relax, sweetheart,” the man chuckled. “A witch and warlock all in one day. Who knew the new world would be so full of magic?” 

The others laughed. 

“Just means there’s more to snuff out, eh boss?” 

The first man, the one that seemed to be their leader raised his sword to Bonnie again. This time, he wasn’t teasing. He popped the corset of her dress wide open, exposing the thin slip underneath her dress. 

A shiver of fear ran through her. Kol kept trying to buck them off and when their eyes met, she saw the fear and rage mingled in his eyes. She tried to communicate with her eyes what she was about to do. It seemed like Kol picked up on it because all of the sudden he was smirking. 

“Hey you!” Kol shouted. The man turned around. “Yeah, you,” he sneered. “I’m going to kill you.” 

The man laughed turning to the others. “You believe this? He’s going to kill me?” 

Bonnie stepped on the foot of the man, who was holding her foot. She threw her head back and hit his nose. Then she threw him over her shoulder. It was a move Stefan had shown her before he flipped the switch. 

She grabbed the leader’s sword. Kol kicked the guy in front of her in the face. Then he got free, stole a sword and started fighting the other two. Bonnie faced off with the leader or she pretended to, when he launched at her, she threw herself to the side. She tackled the guy, who had the crystal. It hit the ground and smashed into pieces. 

In the next instant, she could feel her magic rushing back into her veins, it was a heady sensation. She scrambled toward Kol. He grabbed her hand, channeling her power. She could feel his aura, it was as deep a connection as the one she shared with Kol when they bloodshared. 

Heat coursed through her and her magic thrummed through her bones. It ran rampant through her and she watched in a feeling of heady exhilaration when Kol set the men on fire. They screamed and charged at them, but Bonnie acted on instinct. She threw her hand up, her power mingling with Kol’s and threw them back. 

Kol raised the flames higher. 

A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She saw vampire Kol had just reached the treeline. She nodded to him, trying to tell him without words that he needed to go. He flashed a wicked smile and disappeared in a blur, but not before she saw the disappointment in his eyes. 

The tug of Kol’s magic brought her back to his human self. She felt as if they were one and when he finally stopped the spell, she gasped and stumbled. He caught her in his arms, holding her to him. She pressed her face to his chest and clung to him. She was shaking both from the magic and from fear. 

When was the last time someone had come to her rescue? 

Kol put his head on hers and held her so tightly, she almost thought he had vampire strength for a moment. 

“Are you hurt?” 

“No,” she said looking up at him. “Are you?” 

“No,” he cracked a rueful smile. 

“That was incredible,” she told him meaning it. 

“Me? You should have seen yourself! Where did you learn to do that?” 

“Just something a friend taught me. I thought you said you weren't very good, but you kicked ass!" 

"Your magic - I've never channeled anything like it, it's like pure power." 

Kol pulled her to him and kissed her once, hard on the lips. Then before her head had stopped spinning, he was pulling away from her. He picked up his sword and put his jacket around her shoulders. 

“Come on, love. We need to get out of here.” 

He took her hand and he started pulling her through the woods at a fast pace. 

“Why?” 

“There could be more of them. Witch hunters usually travel in groups.” 

“There were like six of them!” 

“Yeah, about half of what I’d expect,” Kol told her as he kept tugging her along. 

“Oh my God,” Bonnie said hurrying to keep up. 

XXX 

Kol’s head felt like it had been cracked open. His brain had been assaulted by pleasant memories of him and Bonnie. Her sweet kisses, her body pressed against his and the sound of her soft moans. Inside of his mind, images of Bonnie’s scantily clad form tortured him. How he longed to see her like that again. 

He was so blinded with jealousy, he could barely see. His past self had everything he wanted. Bonnie trusted him, liked him and was so blinded by her affections, she forgot that they were leaving this time. That his human self would become the vampire she knew in a matter of months. 

Unless – the thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. Unless Bonnie had other plans. She wasn’t acting like a girl that was waiting for Ayanna to crack the spell to send them home or for the moon to align or whatever the hell Ayanna’s hold up was. She was acting like she was going to stay with his past self. 

“Dammit, Bonnie!” he exclaimed. 

Bonnie was going to stay and she was going to stop Esther from turning them. Well not if he had anything to say about it. 

Before he could do anything about his suspicions another memory assaulted him. Once the pain faded, he had a clear memory of Bonnie and himself being attacked by witch hunters. 

He remembered those, they had passed around the town and wouldn’t have stopped if his human self and Bonnie hadn’t drawn their attention. Almost no one knew Mystic Falls even existed back then. 

Still, it looked as if they were about to die and Kol ran at vampire speed to catch up. He was not about to die because his past self was a careless idiot, who forgot all about witch hunters at the sight of a pretty girl. And neither was he going to let Bonnie die, although he felt slightly less warm toward her knowing, she was okay with his death. 

Sort of. 

Was it death if his future self disappeared? Kol wondered as he ran through the forest. 

He arrived just in time to see they had the situation under control. He paused, just taking a moment to enjoy watching Bonnie as she let her magic run free. She looked free and wild like she was all powerful. He had never seen her quite like this before. 

She was a Goddess. 

Kol watched and when she saw him, he nodded. She had this under control. He lingered for a moment more, the image of her like this was one he wanted to keep for eternity. 

In a flash, he disappeared. 

XXX 

The run through the forest left Bonnie out of breath. She was not used to running in such a heavy dress or such a long one. The whole way, it had been tangling in her legs and tripping her, but Kol kept her hand in his and paused long enough to help her wrangle the dress into place before they kept running. 

Kol came to a stop when they reached the treeline by the village. He pulled her behind on of the trees. He cupped her face between the palms of his hands. He kissed her on the lips, it was a brief, chaste kiss. 

He ran his hand along the top of her dress and it mended. She looked down in amazement. She was still wearing his jacket and she gave it back to him. 

“Thank you and you are teaching me that spell.” 

“Of course,” he flashed a smile. He kissed her again. “I wish I could kill those animals again for what they tried to do to you.” 

“Once was plenty. C’mon, we should warn Ayanna and your family.” 

“Ayanna should be with my family,” he looked up at the sun in the sky. “We’re much later than I told father we were going to be. He is going to be furious with me.” 

“At least you have a good excuse.” 

Bonnie took his hand and started walking. 

When they reached the Mikaelson’s home, she saw that the Mikaelsons were out in the front yard. Klaus and Elijah were fighting with swords, Henrik was being taught by Finn. Rebekah was gathering herbs with Ayanna and Esther. Mikael was pacing the yard, occasionally barking orders at his children. 

“This is him when he’s mellowed out by magic?” Bonnie asked in an undertone. 

“Yes, it’s a wonder mother hasn’t smothered him in his sleep.” 

“Still your dad.” 

“Should I be alarmed I’m the favorite?” 

Bonnie was floored. She hadn’t realized their relationship had progressed to sharing confidences. It was weird, but where she came from all of what they had done today could just as easily have been meaningless as it meant something. 

She pulled herself together, squeezed his hand. “Nah, you’re great.” 

As they drew closer, Elijah holstered his sword and came towards them. His eyes lingered on their interlocked hands and his smile was stiff. 

Bonnie remembered he had kissed her cheek. She wondered if she wasn’t overlooking something about that. He couldn’t like her, could he? 

"What happened to the two of you?" Finn asked joining Elijah. He was smiling and looked amused, so much warmer than the Finn of her time. "You should have been back a long time ago," he winked at Kol. 

Bonnie blushed before she remembered the run through the woods. 

"Witch hunters," Kol said. "We need to warn the rest of the village." 

"I'm on it," Henrik said running over. 

"Henrik - wait!" Klaus said chasing after him. 

"Will he be okay?" Bonnie asked. 

"Nik will look after him," Kol replied. "Henrik's a warlock as well. He should not be running around alone." 

"What's this about witch hunters?" Ayanna panted, she was a little out of breath from running over. 

Esther was hot on her heels while Mikael sauntered over as if he had all of the time in the world. 

"They were by the falls," Bonnie explained. "Nearly killed us." 

"Got the jump on you, did they, boy?" Mikael growled. He looked Kol up and down, there was disdain in his cold blue eyes. "Thought I taught you better than that." 

"You did," Kol growled his eyes flashed with something dark. It was a trait she recognized from vampire Kol. "And we're both here while they're not." 

Bonnie felt a chill run down her spine. The only thing that showed Kol might not feel as good about this as he pretended was the iron grip he had on her hand. 

"They had some kind of crystal," Bonnie said looking to Ayanna. "It drained our powers. When it broke we could use magic again." 

"That's not possible," Ayanna said slowly. She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. "The spirits - they have answers. Come Esther, let's continue your training with the spirits." 

"I can help," Bonnie volunteered. 

"No," Ayanna said firmly. "If you want to learn to communicate with the spirits, I'll train you, but you need to start smaller. Spirit communication if done poorly can lead to possession." 

"I've been possessed." 

"What?" Esther stared at her in surprise. 

"It was after my Grams passed, I had this ancestor, she kept trying to talk to me and when I opened up to her, well I guess I opened up a little too much because next thing I knew, she was me." 

Ayanna took a deep breath. "I would like to throttle, whoever trained you," she said shaking her head. "But we will deal with that once we find out where the rest of the witch hunters are and what measures we need to take. Bonnie, Kol can you try to track the rest of the hunters?" 

"Yes," Kol nodded. "Come on, Rebekah you need to work on your tracking spells." 

"Shut up, Kol!" Rebekah cried even as she followed the two of them into the house. 

"Witches," Mikael hissed and went with Elijah and Finn. 

Bonnie wasn't sure what they were going to do. Maybe they were going to fortify the non-magical defences in the city. She figured they had to have some way to protect themselves from outsiders. 

"You know, this village is supposed to be well-hidden," Rebekah announced as they all sat down at the kitchen table. 

Kol waved his hand and a map appeared on the table. Rebekah pulled a knife out from a hidden holster on her ankle. 

"Careful so father doesn't see that," Kol remarked. "Ever cast a tracking spell, Bon?" 

"Yeah, once or twice," she said hoping he didn't asker her what she had been trying to track. 

"Cool. Bekah needs the practice, mind if she calls the shots on this casting?" 

"Not at all." 

"I hate tracking spells," Rebekah said pouting and rolling her eyes. 

"And that's why you suck at them, sister dear." 

Kol ducked when Rebekah took a swing at him. Bonnie knew enough about siblings to just sit back and hope the fight wouldn't go on for too long. 

Luckily, it died with Kol's sniggers. 

Rebekah sliced the palm of her hand, grimacing in pain. She let the blood trickle onto the map. With her free hand, she took Bonnie's hand. She felt her magical essence being channeled through Rebekah. She could feel Rebekah's magic as well. It was temperamental and high-strung like an ocean wave. 

Bonnie closed her eyes and chanted with Rebekah. On her other side, she reached for Kol across the table. She took his hand and their magic mingled instantly when their hands touched. Kol's magic roared through her like a volcano erupting, it was hot and powerful, it thrummed through her. 

When she opened her eyes the spell was over. The blood showed three distinct spots about two miles around Mystic Falls. They looked like they were surrounding the village slowly. 

"Do you think their friends know they are missing yet?" Bonnie asked hesitantly. 

"Not if father and my brothers can get there on time," Kol replied. "Now that we know where they are we can find someplace to hide the witches and warlocks." 

"What about the caves?" Rebekah shot in immediately. 

"Could work," Kol agreed. "Come on, the village council will want to know what we have learned." 

The village council had already assembled in the Mikaelson family's front yard, Bonnie discovered when they stepped out of the house. Their leader appeared to be a middle-aged woman with long black hair and sharp features. Her skin shone like copper in the summer sun and her smile was friendly. With her were several older men and women, as well as a few that looked closer to Bonnie's age. One of the most notable was a young girl with an eagle's feather in her hair and an older man, who carried himself like a warrior and held a spear in his hand. 

"Greetings Mikaelsons," the woman said stepping forward. "And outsider, I am Raven Greywolf." 

"Bonnie Bennett, I'm a relative of Ayanna's," Bonnie said moving closer to Kol without being conscious of it. 

"Yes, so I've been told," Raven nodded to her. "Henrik says there are witch hunters here?" 

"There are," Kol said immediately. "I killed six of them at the Falls. My father and brother's have gone to hide the evidence." 

"Good," Raven nodded. "How did you manage such a feat?" 

"Magic," Kol confessed. "I channeled Bonnie's and it gave me the boost I needed." 

"You are learning. We have prepared for such a possibility, but the plan depends on where they are. Have you cast a tracking spell yet?" 

"Yes," Rebekah said. "They are in three locations outside of Mystic Falls." 

Rebekah stepped forward and gave the map to Raven, who studied it for a moment before passing it along. All of the members of the village council looked at the map and passed it along until they had all studied it. 

"Yes, this will do," Raven said. "Everyone go home. Anyone with any magic in them will have to pack up and go into hiding." 

"The caves," Bonnie said automatically thinking of the conversation they'd had earlier. 

"Precisely," Raven said. "Can I count on the Bennetts and the Mikaelsons to provide a cloaking spell to get everyone there?" 

"Of course," Kol said. "Assuming we can count on you for a spell to keep witch hunters out of the caves." 

"Naturally," Raven nodded. 

Bonnie didn't like this. She wasn't the kind of person, who went into hiding and she did not like the idea of being separated from vampire Kol. If things had gone south today at the falls, he would have been their only chance of getting out of there alive. And just like his human self he had shown up. Although, if she were being honest with herself, she had to admit it was probably just to save his own skin. After all, vampire Kol didn't strike her as the heroic type. 

"Come on, I'll walk you home," Kol said. 

Bonnie looked at Rebekah, who looked scared. And oddly lost. It wasn't a look that suited her. Unlike past Kol, past Rebekah didn't seem to like being herself in this time period. And seeing this new vulnerable Rebekah - it felt cruel to leave her here alone. 

"Stay with Rebekah, I'll be fine." 

"No, I don't think -" 

"It's fine, really," Bonnie said interrupting. 

She put her hand on his chest and kissed his cheek before walking back to Ayanna's. 

XXX 

Elijah clutched his head as the new memory appeared. He returned back to the house just in time to see Bonnie kiss Kol on the cheek, how he covered her hand with his. It was an intimate gesture. He recalled staying out of sight, not emerging until Bonnie was gone. It was a memory that had haunted him through the centuries because along with it, he could remember many nights were he had thought of that one kiss. And what it revealed. 

"Elijah!" Caroline called out. "Where are you? Klaus! Crappier version of me?" 

"Library!" Elijah called back. 

In the blink of an eye, Caroline had appeared. He could hear the sounds of Matt following at a slower, human pace. 

"Well?" Caroline demanded crossing her arms and tapping her foot. "What have you learned?" 

"I have a contact, who can get me in contact with witches, but I am going to need your help." 

"Me? The only witch I know is Bonnie." 

"Yes, well Katerina happens to know her cousin, but someone needs to talk Niklaus into a truce." 

Caroline gaped at him and shook her head, as if she was shaking herself out of a daze. 

"Do you mean Katherine Pierce because I do not trust that bitch and I don't want her in town. She'll try to kill Elena again!" 

"Niklaus won't allow Elena to die," Elijah smiled and even he felt how tense it was. "He needs her blood." 

"Yeah, that's totally creepy. Where is the jackass himself anyhow?" 

"Out doing whatever it is he is up to now that he has broken the curse. Creating more hybrids I suppose." 

Caroline rolled her eyes. "And you want me to convince that psycho to let Katherine come to town?" 

"It's our best chance at communicating with Bonnie. The familial link is powerful, Lucy should in theory be able to reach through space and time to communicate if the need is great enough. Unless Bonnie has any other relatives with magic?" 

"None living," Caroline shook her head. "Ugh, fine, I'll give it a try. But you had better not tell Tyler about it." 

"Rest assured, this will remain in the strictest confidence." 

"Thank God for that." 

Matt came sauntering in. "Hey, so what's the plan?" 

Elijah chuckled. He had completely forgotten about the human boy and it would seem Caroline had as well in her impatience. 

"C'mon, Matty, I'll fill you in on the way home." 

With that Caroline strode out, hips swinging. 

XXX 

When she returned to Ayanna's house and found it empty, she figured her intuition about Kol needing to see her was wrong. Since she was sweaty and gross from running with Kol or human Kol more accurately, she got clean water from the wash bucket outside behind the house and filled up a basin, which she carried to the guest room. The whole time she was outside, she was on high alert, keeping an eye out for witch hunters even though she knew they were nowhere nearby. 

She was just about to undress when Kol appeared at vampire speed inside of the room. She jumped and let out a squeak. 

"Where have you been?" she asked with a sense of relief. 

Her psychic skills were still working and she had been wondering where he had gone to. She hadn't wanted to admit it to human Kol earlier, but with the witch hunters nearby, she was in survival mode. 

"Me? I'm not the one that nearly died, little witch." 

Before she knew what had happened, he had her in a tight hug. Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. He cupped her face, thumb caressing her cheekbone. 

She looked up at him and was surprised by the genuine emotion she saw in his eyes. He kissed her forehead and then pulled her back to him in a hug that expelled all of the oxygen from her lungs. 

"Kol!" she gasped. "Can't - breathe!" 

He loosened his grip. 

"Sorry, sweetheart." 

She put her hands on his chest and looked up at him. 

"You were worried about me. Weird, I didn't know you could feel." 

"Very rarely and only for the occasional individual, let's keep that our little secret, shall we?" he whispered in her ear. 

She smiled and nodded. Then she started pushing on his chest. "Get out, I need to clean up." 

"You smell good to me." 

"Ew!" 

Kol's eyes darkened with lust and hunger. She saw the instant his expression changed into something predatory. 

"Why? I've already seen nearly everything," he told her. His hands went to her waist and he pulled her against him. 

"Get off me and get out!" she shrieked. 

Kol growled and left in an angry huff. She could hear him stop off to another part of the house. She ran her hand through her hair and ignored him. 

Bonnie pulled the cloth draping shut in the door frame. The house was fairly sturdy, but there were no actual doors, she had noticed. It was like Ayanna didn't like them or something because she did have a front door and a backdoor. Of course, Ayanna also didn't have any windows, she noticed the Mikaelsons didn't have windows either and she wondered what they did in the winter months to stay warm. She considered asking Kol, but she decided vampire Kol would come running back in here and she didn't want to have to throw him out again. So she decided to ask Ayanna next chance she got. 

She took off her dress and the slip. She used the bar of soap that smelled like lavender to wash off and then hastily dressed again. She didn't know if or when Kol would decide to barge in like he had done at the river when they first arrived. She didn't have any clothes to pack except for the outfit she had travelled back in time with, which she was already packed because she didn't want someone to accidentally stumble onto it. 

She had just put on her slip when Kol stepped into the room. His eyes roamed her figure with a dark hunger. 

Hurriedly, she covered her chest with the dress. 

"GET OUT! YOU CREEP!" 

Kol smirked. "You know," he tapped the side of his head. "I've got it all up in here my memory anyway," he closed his eyes and sighed. "Beautiful. Then there was that sneak peak I got by the river." 

Furiously, Bonnie used her magic. She fired with her magic and tossed him out into the living room. She didn't think, she just pictured herself as invisible. She felt something cold ripple through her and when Kol flashed back inside of the room, he looked around and his brow creased. 

"Little witch you either climbed out of the window or you cloaked yourself," he sniffed the air and his lips parted in a smile. "Cloaking spell. Clever. Just fair warning, I don't take kindly to you throwing me around with your magic." 

Bonnie rolled her eyes and put her dress back on. Once it was fully on, she realized her mistake. She had no idea idea how to undo her magic. 

"Kol? Kol - get Ayanna." 

Kol leaned in the doorway as if he was waiting for her to show herself. 

"You must be dressed by now, little witch." 

"I am!" 

Kol waited for a little while longer before his expression turned knowing. 

"You're stuck aren't you?" 

She didn't answer. Not that it mattered, it wasn’t like he could hear her anyway. 

"Very well," he smirked. "I'll tell you how to reverse the spell, but you owe me." 

"No, I don't. You drink my blood," Bonnie said even though she knew he couldn't hear her. 

"Just close your eyes and feel yourself becoming tangible again. See it in your mind's eye. Your magic will do the rest." 

Bonnie did as he said and within a few seconds, she felt a tingle run through her. In the next second, she must be visible again because Kol flashed a smile. 

"There you are. Truce?" 

"Truce," she agreed. "But no more sneak peeks, okay?" 

"Deal," he flashed another smile. "Pity, thankfully I still have the memories." 

"Ugh, don't remind me." 

Kol chuckled. "I suppose you're going to go into hiding with the rest of the witches and warlocks?" 

"I think I'm going to have to." 

"I wish Ayanna would get a move on with the time travel spell." Bonnie tensed and Kol's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to, Bonnie my sweet? Planning on staying here? Perhaps with my human counterpart?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied and decided the best way out of this was to distract him. "If I'm going into hiding you should probably..." she pushed her hair away from her neck. 

Her distraction worked like a charm. Kol's eyes darkened and his eyes fixed on her pulse line. He held his hand out to her and when she put her hand in his, she forgot he was vampire Kol. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt the same way, she did when she was with his human self. 

He pulled her into his arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her flush against him. She could feel every inch of his body and his hard muscles. His fingers teased her pulse line. It was a light ghost of a touch and she shivered. 

Kol's hand travelled along her neck to cup the back of her head, his fingers twining into her hair. He leaned down, his tongue tracing the same pattern along her pulse line as his fingers had done just moments before. She closed her eyes and went boneless in his arms. A soft whimper escaped her as she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from moaning. Fire was coursing through her. 

His lips brushed her ear. 

"I like your hair like this," he whispered in a rough voice. His breath danced along her neck, making her shiver and press herself closer. 

There was a part of Bonnie's brain that knew she shouldn't be doing what she was doing. It had been screaming at her for the past several seconds. She could bloodshare with Kol, but he didn't need to kiss her neck to do that. She pushed on his chest. 

"Stop," she murmured. 

"Don't be frightened, little witch," he said pulling back to look at her. 

"I'm not scared," she rolled her eyes. "You don't need to kiss me. I'm seeing you - well past you. It's complicated, but you shouldn't kiss me like that. Makes me feel like I'm cheating." 

Kol looked at her in complete shock. 

"You can't cheat on me with me." 

"I feel like I am." 

He hugged her and gave her a squeeze before putting her back on her feet. 

"You're too moral, little witch. Technically, since we never broke up, I am still courting you." 

A headache was starting to form. And she clutched her hair. 

"Just because there's two of you running around - look just bite me or let go." 

Kol flashed a wicked smile. "Now that I can do." 

With light fingers, he brushed the hair away from her neck again. He tangled his hand into her hair at the back of her neck. His vampire face appeared and she barely noticed the difference anymore. She was so used to vampires and Kol, she had seen him vamp out more than once. And with the whole bloodsharing thing - well she reacted even less to his vampire face than she did to others. 

He bit into his neck. She gasped and she grabbed his shoulders clinging to them. There was this connection between them, it made Bonnie feel like she was floating. It was like if Kol's arms had not been around her, she could have floated away and at the same, like she could feel his soul. 

Kol's aura was ancient and powerful. It was a heady blend of magics older than he was. It was that magic that carried her away now. She was swept up in a tidal wave of bliss. It crached over her like waves. Heat exploded inside of her until she lost herself completely. 

When Bonnie came back to herself, the world was a blur. Her vision was hazy and there was pain in her neck. She groaned and tried to move. 

"Hush now, little witch," a warm voice murmured. 

The light was too bright and she closed her eyes to shield herself from it. Someone was carrying her and then laying her down on a bed. 

Something warm and wet was pressed against her lips. The taste broke through her haze and she remembered. Kol - his blood. She tasted magic, it was bitter, sweet and salty. It started to return her strength to her. 

Slowly, Bonnie came back to herself. She realized she was sitting on Kol's lap. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed away. Her head was still spinning and she felt disoriented, but things were starting to become clearer. 

Kol cracked a smile, there was blood on his lips. He put his hands on her hips, grinding her down onto him. His hard length was pressing against her and her core throbbed in response. Bonnie watched transfixed as he ran his finger along the crook of her mouth. He put his finger in his mouth and sucked. Bonnie knew she should look away that she should break eye contact, but she couldn't. 

Unexpectedly, he rolled his hips. She gasped and fell forward, she put her head against his shoulder, clinging to him for balance. Kol's hands were back on her hips, keeping her pinned to him. She turned her head toward him and saw there was blood on his neck. 

"Did you -" she nodded toward the wound. 

"Yes, I did." 

"How?" 

Kol looked over her and she followed his gaze. There was a bloody knife on the dirt floor. That was new and unexpectedly intimate, even more intimate than what they had been doing. Bonnie blushed and at the same time, she was horrified he had cut himself for her. 

He put his hand underneath her chin. He turned her face up to his and kissed her. He gasped and he took advantage of her gasp to deepen it. 

He pushed her onto her back and covered her body with his. She felt the weight of him and his hard frame. It made her damp and she pressed herself against him, mewling before she knew what she was doing. 

This Kol's kiss was different than his past self. His technique was more refined and polished. He was more demanding than his human self and more confident as well. It made her head spin and feel as if she was floating as surely as if they were bloodsharing. 

She still felt lightheaded and like she wasn't quite herself. She ran her fingers through his hair, loving how silky it was. He began to kiss his jaw way along her jaw, hot open-mouthed kisses, tracing patterns on her skin with his tongue. He nipped playfully at her pulse line and started to kiss her teasingly along the top of her breasts. His hand cupped her breast and she arched her back, aching for his touch. 

It was exactly what she had done with his past self, earlier in the day. That snapped her back to reality and she pushed him off her. She sat up and leaned against the wall, pulling her knees up to her chest. 

"Don't," she said when he tried to pull her back to him. 

"Why not?" he groaned. "Don't tell me it's because of my past self." 

"Of course it is!" she cried. "He - you - whatever is like my old timey boyfriend or whatever and I - just -" she struggled to find the right words to explain what was a fairly complicated situation. "Feels like cheating," she finally said lamely. 

Kol groaned and rolled his eyes. 

"Ever the moral, little witch. You can't cheat on me with me," he growled. 

It wasn't the first time today he had expressed an idea like that and she found it kind of weird. 

"Why not? If you can be jealous of yourself I can technically cheat on you with you." 

Kol flopped down on his back and covered his face with his arm. 

"You're impossible," he muttered. "I fancy you, little witch and clearly you fancy me otherwise you wouldn't be kissing my human self. Or me for that matter." 

"It was a lapse in judgement. Temporary insanity. Probably just a side effect from the whole blood thing." 

She could feel herself turning red. She had to look away from Kol. He still had his eyes covered, but even that was too much. Bloodsharing felt almost more intimate than anything she had done with his human self earlier that day. 

"It's bloodsharing, little witch. We've done it more than once so you might as well learn the correct term," he drawled. 

"Maybe, maybe not," she told him. "But that feels like enough of a betrayal." 

"I suppose to someone with your moral code, it would." 

"Because that's what you were saying about bloodsharing, right?" Bonnie said still not looking at him. "It's more than just feeding?" 

"Yes." 

"What's the human -" 

"Equivalent?" all of the sudden Kol looked intrigued. He sat up and looked at her with eyes that danced with mischief. 

"Yeah," she asked avoiding eye contact by studying her fingernails. 

She really could use a manicure. 

"It's like vampire sex." 

"Oh my God," she breathed. "You should have - you should have told me that before you bit me the first time!" 

Bonnie jumped to her feet and she was just furious. 

"I warned you it was more than just feeding." 

"BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE A SHADY VAMPIRE! AND IF YOU HAD USED THE WORD SEX - I WOULD HAVE LISTENED!" 

"Why are you getting so worked up?" he studied her. His dark eyes were scrutinizing as he studied her. His expression changed and he looked at once excited as well as a little alarmed. "Are you a virgin, little witch?" 

"None of your business." 

"Oh, you are!" he exclaimed with a broad grin. "Come now, love it's nothing to be ashamed of. I rather like it." 

"Shut up," she put her face in her hands and groaned. "Just shut up. I don't care what you like or don't like." 

"Very well, I won't say anything. But can I ask one question, you don't kiss like you are entirely inexperienced, never have in my memory." 

"Oh my God," she repeated. "I have some experience, you know. I have had boyfriends." 

"Boyfriends as in plural? Oh my, what a scandal." 

"Are you done yet?" 

"One thing, promise me if you and I ever get together for real that you'll be as forward with me as you were with my past self today." 

"Ugh, I have to go." 

"I'll stay close." 

"Good," she said and meant it. 

"You'll have to sneak out as often as you can. I need you to check in," Kol said. "And keep an eye on Ayanna for me. I don't trust her." 

"Is there anyone you do trust?" 

"Myself," he cracked a smile. "I remember what happened at the lake today." 

Bonnie wrapped her arms protectively around herself. She remembered too and judging by the less than happy expression Kol was wearing, he was thinking of when the witch hunters attacked. She put her hand to her throat and hoped her arm covered most of her chest. She could still recall how the witch hunter had torn open the bodice of her dress. 

"So? I do too," she said keeping her eyes on a point above his head. 

"So I got you a present, little witch." 

"You mean you stole me a present." 

He cracked a smile that made him look like his human self. Innocent and fun. "I did. Do you want it?" 

Kol took a bundle of fabric out from the chest by the bed. He held it out for her and she eyed it skeptically. 

"I don't want a stolen gift." 

"Come now, I doubt the seamstress will miss one dress." 

Bonnie sighed. "Thank you, I guess? I don't know what you say when someone steals for you." 

"Thank you is traditional," Kol winked at her. 

Bonnie accepted the dress and unbundled it. She held it up and had to admit it was beautiful. It was a beautiful shade of the palest lilac and the fabric was soft to touch. The bodice was tight and it was laced with a string of gold satin lace. The skirt was soft and looked like it would follow all of her movements. It had capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves had the same gold satin laced around the edges. The bottom of the skirt was lined with gold trim as well. 

"This is beautiful," she said in a breathy voice. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome," his grin turned wicked. "And -" he took something else out of the chest. 

It was a pair of leather shoes that fit to her ankles. They laced up and they were dyed the same shade of lilac as her dress. 

"Oh," she sighed. "Those are - I mean - why would you go to the trouble?" 

"After what happened to you today, little witch I’d say you deserve something new and pretty, wouldn’t you?" 

Bonnie was grateful and she didn't know what to say so she just nodded. Her smile was wobbly at best. 

"I should go." 

"Change first, burn that one and the memories along with it." Kol spoke without looking over his shoulder as he left the room. 

"You sound like you know something about it.” 

"I've been alive for a long time," he replied. "I know something about most things, my sweet." 

Curious, but knowing it wasn't her business, Bonnie changed into the new dress. She knew Kol was right, no point in keeping the dress. It was just bad memories for her and him - both versions of him. 

But then again, she and Kol had both saved each other today and that wasn't nothing, she thought with a sly smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a typo in the last chapter, Henrik is not a warlock. Sorry about that and any confusion it might have caused.

Kol was still feeling homicidal towards himself as mad as that might be. Stalking through the tree line of the forest did not help his mood. He wanted to walk next to Bonnie as she made her way to the meeting place. Instead, he was forced to hide and skulk as she rushed to meet with his past self. 

He paced the outskirts of the forest behind his old family home. He crept closer, trying to get the house in sight and hoped none of the witches present sensed his presence. They wouldn't know it was a vampire however, they would know it was something and he didn't much feel like playing hide and seek. 

He managed to get just close enough, he could see Bonnie approaching the front yard. The tree branches obscured his view somewhat, but he could still see her figure and the dress. The lilac was a wonderful color on her and the way the fabric clung to her...he had to shake his head to clear his mind. 

Images of their day at the lake (except it hadn't really been him) kept popping into his head unbidden. It was a sweet torment that was driving him well out of his mind. A fact that was made even more frustrating because she wasn't willing to have a repeat of those moments with him. 

Kol watched as a younger version of Elijah ran across the front yard to Bonnie. He caught up to her, catching her elbow. Bonnie jumped and jerked her arm away roughly, she was ready to take a swing at whoever, was following her until she saw it was Elijah. Then she visibly relaxed, all of her body language changed. 

That he had to admit irked him. It drove him mad how comfortable she was with their human selves when she never seemed to let her guard down with him. Not unless they were bloodsharing and he wasn't sure that counted. 

He also didn't like how Elijah seemed to slowly be inching closer toward Bonnie. There was a predatory quality to his movements. It was the way men looked at women when they were interested in them. 

"There you are, Bonnie," Elijah said in a familiar way and there was more warmth in his voice than there ordinarily was. "We were wondering when you would be joining us." 

Kol growled low in his throat and had to take a step back to keep from tearing his brother's throat out. It wasn't as if it would be a fair fight, Elijah was human. Still, it would serve his brother right for a millennia of being Nik's lapdog. 

"Yeah, it took longer than I expected," Bonnie said looking at her feet. 

If Kol hadn't been a vampire, he might have missed that lovely blush on her cheeks from this distance. But he didn't and he grinned wickedly at the sight of her reddening. It gave him a thrill to know the little witch was as affected by him as he was by her. The only trouble was, she didn't seem to have an emotional attachment to him. Yet she seemed to be falling in love with his human self. At least, he assumed so. It wasn't like he had ever been in love. 

"Do you need help with your bag?" 

Elijah reached for it, but Bonnie held it out of his reach. 

"No, thanks, I've got it." 

Interesting, it would seem Bonnie didn't trust this member of his human family. 

With good reason, Kol saw within seconds and just as soon, he saw red. Elijah moved closer to Bonnie, wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her. Kol growled and was about to run forward when Bonnie handled the situation so effectively he had to run deeper into hiding so he wouldn't be heard laughing. 

Bonnie had lashed out blindly with her magic in a way that was pure power and instinct, no thought or skill at all. She threw him across the yard and into the chicken coop. It was a small wooden building that shook and rattled when Elijah's heavy body hit it. 

He coughed and groaned, rolling onto his side. 

XXX 

Bonnie stared at Elijah's crumped form with a cold fury she didn't often feel. He was a worm. He wasn't just a double-crossing traitor, he was a straight up worm. 

"Your brother is courting me!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't know that?" 

"I did - however, I - thought - I apologize if I was presumptuous." 

"IF? IF YOU WERE PRESUMPTUOUS? THERE IS NO IF ABOUT IT!" 

How could he do this to Kol? And put her in this position? Did he think she was some kind of cheap slut? 

Did he think she was like Katherine? 

Kol and Rebekah came running out of the house. 

"What happened?" 

"Why are you on the ground Elijah?" 

"Is it witch hunters?" Kol demanded taking Bonnie's hand and turning her around. 

"Your brother -" Bonnie wanted to tell him, but the words died in her throat. She couldn't tell him what Elijah had done, the way he was looking at her right now, no other guy had ever looked at her this way and she worried this might crush him. "He spooked me and I attacked him without thinking." 

"You scared me, sweetheart." 

Then Kol threw his head back and laughed. 

Bonnie stared at him in amazement. This was not the reaction she had expected from him. It felt like something his vampire self would do and Bonnie had to wonder if maybe vampire Kol wasn't right. They were still the same person, but still she had a hard time believing someone as kind and sweet as him could turn into a cold-blooded killer. She had long suspected turning into a vampire changed a person's personality in spite of what vampires claim. Caroline had become a completely different person since her transition. Ironically enough, she had changed for the better. 

"C'mon, we should get going," Kol said when he stopped laughing. 

He took her hand and they waited for the rest of his siblings, Esther and Ayanna to join them. Once everyone was ready to go, they all started walking toward the caves on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. It was far out in modern times, but back then on foot. It took nearly two hours and along the way they met other villagers with magic, Bonnie greeted several and by the time they were halfway, she was beaming. She had never before been surrounded by this many witches and warlocks, it felt nice. 

"What is that energy?" a boy that had joined her and Kol on their walk said. His name was Blackbear and he was according to Kol a gifted Shaman. 

Bonnie cast out with her magic and tried to sense whatever he sensed. But all she could sense was the vampire energy that was Kol and then it hit her that was what he was picking up on. And she wouldn’t have felt that if not for Blackbear. She was still new to getting the hang of sensing vampires. And he obviously wouldn't know what that strange energy was because vampires didn't exist yet. 

"I'm not sure," Bonnie said. "But I don't think it's the witch hunters," she said slowly not wanting to alarm anyone. 

"No, it's not them," Kol agreed. 

"Then what it is?" Blackbear said. 

"It doesn't feel dangerous," Bonnie said hoping her smile was reassuring and not a grimace. 

"It doesn't feel good either," Blackbear said. "I get images of blood." 

Oh no, this was bad she thought. 

Abruptly, Kol's vampire energy vanished and she exhaled in relief. 

"Whatever it is, it's gone now." 

"We should keep an eye out for it. I don't like strange energies around on the same day as the witch hunters appeared," Kol said and she could see the tension in his shoulders. 

She could understand. They had almost died. If they hadn't known how to fight without magic, they would be. 

"Let's just get to the caves," Bonnie said picking up her pace. 

She glanced at Blackbear and saw he was still on high alert, same as Kol. She walked even faster and hoped the others would try to keep up with their pace. Once they were in the magically protected caves, everyone would relax and hopefully they would all forget they had sensed vampire Kol. 

Once they arrived at the caves, everyone settled in. Setting up bedrolls and lighting a fire at the front of the cave. Ayanna and Blackbear secured the area more with additional layers of protective magic. 

Bonnie was about to put her bedroll down next to Kol when Rebekah stopped her. She grabbed her wrist and pulled her with her to the back of the cave. 

"Are you mad?" Rebekah hissed. "You can't sleep near the boy, who is courting you. Mother would freak out. And Ayanna might hex him.” 

"Of course, I don't know what I was thinking," Bonnie mumbled. 

But that wasn’t true. Bonnie was thinking she was back in the 21st century where no one would bat an eye. It would only be normal she would sleep next to her boyfriend. Because this was a very public sleepover after all so it wasn’t like something would happen. 

"I know what you were thinking," Rebekah said in a purr with a wink. 

Bonnie got her bedroll ready and lay down on it. Next to her, Rebekah had done the same. 

"Kol says you're powerful and that you saved his life today." 

Bonnie blushed. "He saved mine too." 

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to Kol," Rebekah's voice sounded sincere and when Bonnie looked at her, she saw she was staring up at the roof of the cave. 

Gratitude was not something Bonnie was used to. Back home her job was to save everyone. No one even asked anymore, they just ran to her, expecting her to have all of the answers and save the day. 

And she did without question. 

Yet here was Rebekah, grateful that she had helped protect her brother as if living him to die had ever been an option. But it hadn't been all her, it had been a team effort. If Kol hadn't been there, she wouldn't have survived either. 

"Well now you'll never have to find out," Bonnie said uncomfortably. 

"Do you fancy him?" 

"Yes." 

"Good," Rebekah's sigh was content. 

In the next moment, Bonnie heard her snores. She grinned and rolled over to go to sleep on her on. 

XXX 

Kol had had enough of this witch hunter nonsense. The second the humans were hiding in the cave, he took off. He had his past memories of where the witch hunters were hiding and he decided to go deal with them himself. That way, Bonnie could leave the cave tomorrow and he could find out what sort of nonsense she was plotting to stay in the past. 

It didn't take him more than an hour to run to the second village in the area using vampire speed. He got there too late, it was burning to the ground and everyone there was dead or dying. His vampire senses told him that much. Death - it had a scent or a presence one that lingered in the air. 

The witch hunters were however, very much alive. And as a former warlock, Kol felt his blood boil at just the sight of them. 

As a group, they saw him. They turned, pointing and shouting. 

"Who is that?" 

"Oy! There's a live one!" 

"Survivor." 

With a feral smile, Kol revealed his vampire face. The flames from the burning village illuminated his face and he took great joy in seeing the looks of fear and confusion that crossed their faces. 

"What magic is this?" 

"A devil," another witch hunter hissed. 

"Close," Kol smirked. 

With bloodlust coursing through his veins, he attacked. He tore his way through the group of witch hunters easily. Their flesh ripped from their bones and their mortal defenses were nothing against his vampire speed and strength. 

His fangs tore into their throats and he gulped down mouthfuls of their blood. With blood dripping down his face and neck, he rose after having killed the last of them. He wiped the blood away and felt disappointment. This had been far too short-lived. 

XXX 

The next morning, Bonnie woke to sunlight streaming in her face. Ayanna leaned over her with a secretive smile. She made a quieting noise and gestured for Bonnie to follow. She got out of her bedroll and met with Ayanna outside of the cave. 

Ayanna lit the sage and waved it. She let it burn and looked at Bonnie. 

"Well does this latest event with Kol have anything to do with the Mikaelsons' transition into vampire?" 

"No," she shook her head. "Absolutely not. And according to future Kol, he wasn't even supposed to be at the Falls yesterday." 

"Good," Ayanna nodded thoughtfully. "You are aware the full moon is approaching in two weeks, are you not?" 

"I am." 

Bonnie wrapped her arms more protectively around herself. She did know and she still hadn't figured out a good way to keep Klaus and Henrik home short of tailing them or maybe spelling them inside of their house. 

Now there was an idea. 

"Well?" Ayanna prodded. 

"I'm going to need to borrow your grimoire." 

"Why?" 

Bonnie was taken aback by Ayanna's caginess. 

"I was thinking about casting a spell to put them to sleep for that night or maybe just lock them in their house?" 

Ayanna still looked hesitant, but she nodded. 

"You may borrow it. I have a sleeping potion you might find useful. And a sleeping potion would be less conspicuous than magically sealing them in their home." 

"Good point," Bonnie agreed. 

Ayanna and Bonnie returned to the cave so she could continue to pack her sleeping area. Ayanna wandered off to a more private part of the cave to commune with their spirits along with the village chief. 

Bonnie noticed she didn't see Henrik among all of the Mikaelsons. She wasn't surprised to notice Finn and Elijah were missing, they weren't warlocks. Rebekah was sipping a cup of tea next to her. 

"Have you seen Henrik?" 

"Henrik?" Rebekah replied breezily. "He should be around here somewhere." 

Rebekah seemed completely unconcerned with Henrik's absence. Bonnie tried to relax as well, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was wrong. It persisted all morning until she went to sit outside of the cave for some fresh air. 

There was a change in the energy surrounding the area. She knew it meant Kol was nearby. She crept closer to the outskirts of the protection. 

"Kol?" she whispered. "Kol are you here?" 

She knew she didn't need to speak any louder for him to hear her. And she was proved right when Kol appeared in front of her in a flash. She was expecting him, but he still caught her off guard and she jumped. 

"Greetings, little witch." 

Bonnie looked over her shoulder. "We have to be quick. But have you seen the witch hunters around?" 

"Seen them around?" Kol flashed a wicked smile that made her stomach do somersaults. He took her hand and laced their fingers together. "That's one way to phrase it. I killed them." 

"You what?" Bonnie hissed. Aggressively, she snatched her hand back. "And stop trying to act like my boyfriend! I am dating past you! Human you! Not homicidal vampire you." 

Kol's eyes narrowed. 

"You and my human self, killed plenty of witch hunters yesterday yourselves." 

"I know!" 

"Then why are you angry with me?" 

"Because if you killed them too close to the village, they'll think there are more predators out there. Especially after yesterday when your presence was spotted and if you killed them too far away, they won't know and who knows when the hell I will get out of this cave then?" 

Kol chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm certain Ayanna's communion with the spirits will solve that particular problem." 

"What do you mean?" Bonnie eyed him suspiciously. Kol would have been easier to trust if he didn't come across as arrogant and sure of everything. Thanks to Damon, Bonnie had learned never to trust a man, who was too confident. They were blind to their own shortcomings. 

"One of the spirits must know by now the witch hunters are dead at the hand of a mysterious creature, they will show it to Ayanna in a vision, she will know it was me and tell the villagers the threat has passed." 

"And you're okay with that?" 

"I most certainly am." 

"Ayanna already thinks you're a monster," Bonnie took a step closer when she lowered her voice on instinct. Kol being Kol took advantage of her close proximity to draw her into his arms. "If she sees what you did, who knows what she will do?" 

"What can she do? I'm immortal, quite literally. And I daresay a witch no matter how powerful is no match when she hasn't even heard of vampires before." 

"Fine, I hate to admit it, but you have a point. Just make sure she doesn't seal you in a tomb or something." 

"Worried about me?" 

"No," Bonnie rolled her eyes. She pushed Kol away. "I'm worried about my way home. If I return without you your siblings are going to think I killed you. And I don't want them trying to murder me to avenge you or whatever." 

Now that was a blatant lie and Bonnie knew it. She had no intentions of returning to Mystic Falls in present time, but she couldn't let Kol know that. Just like she couldn't tell him there was actually a part of her that worried about him. No matter how insane that was. 

"Awe, that's sweet you do care," Kol winked at her. 

"Fuck you." 

Bonnie shoved at him. Laughingly, Kol withdrew. 

"I'd best return to the shadows." 

Kol vanished in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Bonnie returned to the cave and found his human self. He was playing a dice game with Henrik and Rebekah. They greeted Bonnie like she was a dear friend and she sat down next to Kol, who put his arm around her shoulder. It was a casual gesture like he was barely conscious of what he was doing. 

They passed the day playing the game with Kol and Rebekah bickering about the rules as they taught it to Bonnie. 

As it turned out, Kol was right. Before dusk Ayanna revealed to them what the spirits had told her. If she hadn't done it soon, Bonnie would have taken it upon herself. She was starting to feel trapped. Rebekah and Kol's bickering about the dice game did little to soothe her nerves. 

She rubbed her arms and fidgeted as they all left the cave. Kol caught up with her and caught her hand. His touch was more tentative than his vampire self. Which she supposed made sense, he hadn't had a thousand years to perfect his game as a player, wouldn't have the same confidence. 

"Are you alright, Bonnie?" 

"I'm fine. Just feeling a little claustrophobic after spending so much time in a cave, you know?" 

"I do," he flashed a wicked smile that made her heart skip a beat. "You know, when I feel closed in when we are exploring the caves, I reach out with my magic. It helps ground me to feel the nature spirits." 

She grinned. "I'll have to remember that." 

“And I like to go riding.” 

“Riding?” Bonnie raised an eyebrow. She could barely remember the last time she had been on a horse. She couldn’t have been older than five. 

“Yes, would you like to go with us tomorrow?” 

“Us?” 

“My siblings and I we are going.” 

“I’d love to.” 

Bonnie smiled and looked at her feet as they walked. Kol gave her hand a gentle squeeze that sent a tingle of warmth through her. 

Kol walked her back to Ayanna’s house. He hovered awkwardly by the doorway as they waited for Ayanna to go inside. Bonnie flushed when she realized his human self was probably lurking and even if he wasn’t, any new memories human Kol formed, vampire Kol would get. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kol murmured. 

His fingers gently stroked her cheek. She bit down a smile and leaned into his touch. 

“Be careful on your way home.” 

Kol flashed a confident smile that was familiar to her. It was the same one his vampire self always gave her. He placed a soft kiss to her lips and broke away. He winked at her and sauntered off. 

Bonnie watched him go for a while. Then she squared her shoulders and went inside. Ayanna was waiting for her at the kitchen table. A grimoire was open in front of her. 

“Here, this is a sleeping potion,” Ayanna said nodding toward the book. There was sage burning and Bonnie realized Ayanna didn’t trust Kol. At least not vampire Kol. She considered him the enemy and expected Bonnie to view him the same. 

But Bonnie didn’t hate vampire Kol. She didn’t like or trust him, but she didn’t hate him either. As far as vampires went he was alright, Bonnie thought softly touching the lilac dress he had given her. 

“Thank you.” 

“It’ll take two months to brew so there is no room for error because the full moon is in three,” Ayanna said gravely. “And try to keep it from vampire Kol, he won’t want you to brew this and he is a skilled warlock. He will know exactly what it is you are brewing.” 

“Any suggestions on how to stop him from knowing what I am up to? Because in case you haven’t noticed, Kol is super nosy and he usually isn’t far away.” 

“So I’ve noticed,” Ayanna’s eyes flashed. “A thousand years apart yet his taste in women remains the same. How peculiar.” 

“Ayanna,” Bonnie snapped impatiently. “If you have something to say, just say it.” 

“Don’t let him charm you. Vampires are monsters, I see that now.” 

“I don’t think Kol is charming so there is nothing to worry about.” 

“Good, I will cloak part of the kitchen. Hopefully, Kol will simply assume it is more of the residual magic that lingers from all of my casting in this place.” 

“Thank you.” 

Bonnie sat down to read the instructions. She brewed well into the night. She briefly heard Ayanna chase Kol away from the kitchen, saying Bonnie was cloaking herself to bathe since she didn’t trust the vampire. And made a mental note to bathe before returning to the bedroom. Kol would smell the herbs and potion on her if she didn’t. 

Stupid, gross vampires and their super senses. 

XXX 

Kol spent a good deal of time in the bedroom imagining Bonnie in the bath. It was a maddening thought and he found it frustrating she had cloaked herself. It wasn’t as if he would actually barge in there though he could see how she might think he would. But with the cloaking in place, he couldn’t even hear the sound of water splashing in the tub or smell the fragrance of soap. 

Her scent had changed since coming to the past. Gone was the fragrance of modern perfumes, shampoos and soaps. She no longer carried with her a whiff of oranges, sandalwood and jasmine. Yet her own unique fragrance, Bonnie had not changed. But now she smelled of lilacs and cinnamon. She smelled of fresh air and the forest around her. It was a fragrance that reminded him of his childhood. He blamed that fragrance for his increased attachment to the little witch. After else, why would he feel actually feelings for her? 

When Bonnie finally returned to the room, he saw her eyes looked bleary and exhausted. Her hair hung in damp tendrils around her shoulders. She didn’t seem to notice him. Just lay down on the bed, her head on the pillow and fell fast asleep immediately. 

For a while, Kol was content to simply listen to her soft breathing. She looked younger while asleep more vulnerable. And Kol had the overwhelming urge to protect her, keep her safe from all harm. Especially, when Bonnie turned over, still asleep and pressed herself closer. 

“Kol,” she murmured and sighed. 

Grinning, he pulled her into his arms and let her nuzzle into his chest. 

XXX 

Elijah looked up in surprise when Rebekah and Caroline walked in. Rebekah had a steely grip on Matt’s arm. 

“What are you doing to the boy?” Elijah questioned putting his book aside. 

He had lived for over a millennia and the one constant Elijah found was there was never a moment of peace to be had. He often wondered if that was what life like for everyone or simply unfortunate individuals such as himself. 

“He was too slow,” Rebekah pouted. 

“Get off me!” Matt growled. “Isn’t it bad enough you and your brother tried to murder me? Now you add kidnapping to the list?” 

Rebekah huffed and crossed her arms. Her lips turned down into a practiced sulk. 

“Rebekah says she remembers something about Bonnie,” Caroline said. “What is it and has anyone seen Kol?” 

“Well,” Rebekah smirked. “It looks like Bonnie is dating Kol’s human self.” 

Caroline and Matt wore matching expressions of confusion. 

“Yes, I have recollections of this as well,” Elijah agreed with a heavy sigh. “And I must ask, is there any chance she is attempting to kill us? Is this some sort of ploy to destroy us?” 

Caroline and Matt broke into a loud cacophony of noise. 

“Bonnie would never -” 

“She hates vampires -” 

“Kol?!” 

“KOL?” 

“Enough!” Elijah slammed his book onto the coffee table. “I expect a real answer. Would she use Kol to murder us in cold blood?” 

“I doubt it,” Matt said heatedly. 

“Absolutely not,” Caroline agreed. “She hates you guys, totally, but she’s Bonnie – she's like the best person I know.” 

“Then why is allowing Kol to court her?” Elijah demanded. 

He straightened his cufflinks in an attempt to control his temper, but the truth was, he was close to losing it. Their entire family was at stake and there was not a thing he could do about it. He felt more helpless than he could ever recall feeling. Worse than when he was a child and faced with one of Mikael’s inevitable tempers. Or in all the years that followed in, which Niklaus had acted the part of madman. 

“I don’t know,” Caroline shrugged. “They seemed kind of chummy at the ball until Kol went nuts.” 

“I find that highly unlikely as Kol threatened her previously until his unfortunate lapse in judgement.” 

“You call this a lapse in judgement?” Matt said holding up his sprained wrist. 

“Yes,” Elijah said evenly. 

“For Kol that was just playful. You should count yourself lucky to be alive,” Rebekah said. 

“Then perhaps she is simply trying to find a way back or stop us from turning in a manner that doesn’t require murder. Using Kol for such a task would be simple as he appears tofancy her,” Elijah said reasonably. 

Caroline gaped at him. “So why did he attack her like a total psycho?” 

“Because Kol is a lunatic,” Rebekah replied with a smirk. “Obviously.” 

“Rebekah,” Elijah scolded. “If Abby turns up a way to communicate with them in the past, please let us know.” 

“Yeah, and you do the same,” Caroline said with a warning look at Rebekah. 

They left and Elijah turned to look at Caroline. “Have your sources turned up anything?” 

“Nothing,” Rebekah said and sighed. “I know we have a sort of truce with those fools, but do you honestly think they will find a spell that powerful? We are the only one with the resources and connections to do that.” 

“I am aware,” Elijah replied evenly. “What do you make of Bonnie’s behavior?” 

“From my memories I have gleaned a few things though she has hardly spent much time with anyone other than Kol,” Rebekah said speaking slowly. “But do you remember when we took refuge in the caves because of the witch hunters?” 

“Naturally.” 

“She tried to lay her bedroll next to Kol’s. It wasn’t as if she could have made an attempt with everyone there so I think perhaps that brat Caroline might be on to something.” 

Had Rebekah finally been driven insane by Niklaus? Elijah wondered. But then he shook himself because he still recalled in crystal perfect clarity the way Bonnie had thrown him across the yard using magic. All because he made a simple advance. At the time, he had thought her fiercely loyal to Kol. Now? Now, he wasn’t so sure because she hadn’t told Kol what had happened. 

“You think she has genuine feelings for Kol?” 

“Yes, she might like him. You remember what Kol was like when we were human. Half the girls in the village had a crush on him because he was fun and kind. Why should Bonnie be any different?” 

“She is a Bennett witch, she is no ordinary girl.” 

Rebekah snorted. “Don’t tell me you fancy her as well. Kol’s obvious obsession is bad enough. Yet he has the nerve to lecture me about Matt.” 

“Yes, well that is uncalled for. His list of paramours is even longer than yours.” 

“Which is surprising as yours is quite long, Bekah,” Niklaus said as he sauntered into the room. “So which one of you traitors had the bright idea to suggest Katerina return to Mystic Falls?” 

Elijah cleared his throat. Tension raced through him. “That would be me.” 

“Why am I not surprised? And you have three seconds to convince me I shouldn’t you dagger you again.” 

“Well we have taken your daggers,” Rebekah purred and smirked. 

“Do you want to bring Kol back from the past?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then we need a way to contact him and Bonnie, and to do that we need a relative of hers with magic. Katerina is the only person, who knows how to contact her cousin.” 

“And do you know of this cousin?” Nik asked. 

Rebekah smirked. “Damon let it slip after a few drinks. Then he passed out.” 

“Let’s hope so. We don’t need the Salvatores interfering,” Klaus said. 

“And our resources are limited as is without Kol. He is the one with connections to all of the major covens and families,” Rebekah added. “We may be in a better position to return them than the Salvatores, but not for long. Not if we do not obtain Katherine’s help.” 

“So let the witch rot in the past and Kol will make his own way home.” 

“Don’t be ludicrous,” Elijah said. “Do you think Stefan and Damon will not reach out to Katerina? Assuming they haven’t already done so. And she will come and perhaps they will not bother to rescue Kol or once returned, Bonnie may simply choose to help our mother finish what she started.” 

“THEN FIND ME A WITCH, WHO CAN UNLINK US!” 

“Only a Bennett can do that,” Elijah said patiently. “Bennett magic linked us and it must unlink us.” 

“Very well. Call Katherine.” 

Finally, he was reasonable, Elijah thought. 

XXX 

The next morning, Bonnie woke because she heard snoring. She looked over and saw Kol had laid down in the bed next to her. He must have done it after she fell asleep. Creeping into the house after Ayanna went to bed or Bonnie fell asleep. She couldn’t blame him, not really. Ayanna’s guest room was the only bed either of them had slept in since arriving. And she could understand why Kol didn’t want to sleep in the forest, but he could ask before climbing into bed with her. 

Bonnie kicked Kol. It was a hard, sharp kick to his shin. He sat up and stared at her. His expression was grumpy, but he must be getting used to her rude wake up calls because he didn’t flash fangs. 

“You know, little witch I love violence as much as the next sane person, but have you considered there are more pleasant ways to greet the day?” 

His hands reached for her and she swatted them aside. He chuckled and put his arms behind his head. 

“You know you’re insane, right?” 

Bonnie climbed over him. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I’m going riding with – well you and your siblings.” 

Kol groaned and sighed in disappointment. “Is there anything I can say that will convince you to spend the day with me instead?” 

“Nope.” 

“You are singularly stubborn.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “So you’ve mentioned. Besides, aren’t you and Ayanna supposed to contact the spirits today?” 

“Yes, I suppose we are,” his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I do not think her attempts to contact the spirits for guidance have been genuine.” 

“Oh?” Bonnie feigned surprise. 

Ever since she and Ayanna had cooked up the plan to keep the Mikaelsons human, she suspected Ayanna would do something of this nature. Kol was trained in spirit communication and he was too nosy to be kept out of it. Of course, Ayanna would be forced to mislead him. 

Now Kol’s eyes narrowed and darkened. He cocked his head to the side and studied her. 

“What are you plotting?” 

“Nothing.” 

“You’re lying.” 

Kol sat up quickly. Bonnie took an involuntary step back. He had sworn he would never harm her again, but was his word worth any more than Elijah’s? 

I’m so stupid, Bonnie castigated herself. She had become so accustomed to Kol’s human self she forgot he was still a vampire. An unhinged one at that. She drew her magic around herself, readying herself to attack if he went back on his promise. 

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not, but I am under no obligation to tell you everything.” 

“Allies, remember? If I recall correctly that was your turn of phrase, Bonnie my sweet.” 

“Allies? Sure. But it’s not like you tell me everything.” 

His eyes flashed dangerously. “I don’t keep secrets regarding our trip home, which is what you are doing.” 

“What do you want from me? None of this is fair! You can or think you can spot a lie, which gives you an advantage just like everything else in this time! You know how to survive here! And me? I would have gotten lost in the woods and probably died there if you hadn’t come through the portal with me.” 

Bonnie had no idea why she was suddenly ranting. Maybe it was because Kol was acting like well like a vampire. And no matter what happened, she would probably never go home. Kol might even kill her if he figured out what she was planning. Right now, he suspected, but he didn’t know anything for sure. 

Kol studied her in silence for a few moments. His expression finally softened. 

“You’re scared you’re going to die here.” 

“Of course, I am!” 

In a flash, Kol was on his feet. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms. He cradled her protectively in his arms and she burrowed her face into his chest, letting herself cry. Letting herself feel fear properly for the first time since arriving here. 

He was right. Of course, he was right. She would probably die here, far away from everyone and everything she loved. Ironically, separated by time, which was impassable in a way distance wasn’t. 

Her dad. 

Her friends. 

And her Grams. If she died here, she would have to wait a thousand years on the Other Side before her Grams joined her. Assuming time worked in a straight line. 

But she could handle dying here if it meant she got to live a full life. The thing that scared her was she might die here without protecting the world from vampires. And then what? She would fail and never see her home or her loved ones again? 

But if she managed to stop the Mikaelsons from turning – well then it really didn’t matter if she died here. At least her life would mean something. 

“Don’t cry, little witch,” Kol murmured. “Hush now, it’s all going to be alright.” 

That only made her cry harder because he just didn’t understand. In response to her violent sobs, he hugged her tighter. 

Eventually, she stopped crying simply because she ran out of tears. With puffy eyes and a headache starting to form, she withdrew from Kol. Embarrassed, she found herself unable to meet his eyes. He tucked one of her wild curls behind her ear, which made her blush all the more. She wasn’t used to wearing her hair naturally and was still trying to work out the best way to style it. 

From the glimpses she had caught of her reflection in the water her relaxers had given way to tight curls. They brought out her cheekbones and the angles on her face. Somehow, it made her eyes look bigger, she looked older. She wasn’t one for experimenting with her appearance so anything different than her usual look made her self-conscious. 

So she took a step back from Kol and started pinning her hair up. She didn’t need to look to know he was watching her. She could feel his eyes drilling holes into the back of her neck. 

“What is it Kol? I’m fine, I had my breakdown and now I’m fine again,” Bonnie said and was unable to keep the irritation out of her voice. 

Mostly, she was annoyed with herself. She should never have broken down in front of him like that. What had she been thinking? He wasn’t like his human self. The part of him that was kind and loving was gone. Dead a thousand years. 

“What are you doing to your hair?” 

“I’m putting it up. You’ve been around long enough you should know that,” she grumbled. 

Kol scoffed. “Don’t insult my intelligence, little witch. I meant, why are you putting it up? The curls are lovely.” 

In spite of herself, she blushed. His tone was too seductive and when Kol spoke to her like that, she could all too easily believe she was special to him. 

“I haven’t worn my hair like this since I was a kid, not sure I like it,” Bonnie said risking a glance in the mirror. It did have a sultry sort of appearance to it, but she thought maybe she would prefer braids. “What do you think of braids?” 

Kol studied her for a moment. Then he cracked a smile. “You my darling are so beautiful, you could shave all your hair off and still be gorgeous.” 

Now that was a step too far and she rolled her eyes at him. 

“Whatever, I have to go.” 

She splashed some water on her face and hurried out the door. Kol said something, calling after her, but she didn’t hear him. 

When she reached the entrance door, Ayanna met her with a picnic basket. She passed it to Bonnie and smiled at her. 

“Just a few refreshments for you and the other children,” Ayanna said pleasantly. “Esther told me yesterday evening.” 

Bonnie blushed. “We’re going riding. His siblings are coming along.” 

“Of course, they are, but it is still rather exciting. I would so love it if our line became joined with theirs.” 

Bonnie raised a finger to her lips. And glanced over her shoulder to where Kol was in the guest bedroom. 

“You know I’m going back to my own time,” Bonnie said trying to laugh casually. 

“I know,” Ayanna sighed. “But an old woman can dream.” 

“You aren’t old.” 

“Yes, I am. I only have a few good years left.” 

Bonnie didn’t know what to say so she grimaced at Ayanna. “Thank you for this, I should go.” 

She took the basket from Ayanna with a grateful smile and went outside. Kol was waiting for her outside of the front door. He was leaning against the wall and flashed a heart stopping smile when he saw her. He caught her hand, placing a soft kiss to the back of it that made her blush. 

“Greetings beautiful.” 

“Kol,” she said smiling and yet a little disapproving. She snatched her hand back. “There are people around.” 

She glanced around and saw a few nosy villagers were indeed watching them. 

“Oh, it’s just harmless village gossip. I don’t know what things are like where you are from, but the rules for courting here are very relaxed.” 

Bonnie grinned. She was just working off the assumption everything was more conservative than in the 21st century, but she was starting to think maybe that wasn’t the case. She definitely noticed people married younger, but given that they lived shorter lives that was hardly surprising. Aside from that, people took notice of the handholding, but not like they were judging. More like Kol was right, it was a little bit of harmless village gossip. Ayanna certainly hadn’t seemed perturbed by Bonnie spending time alone with Kol. 

“I don’t want to be the subject of village gossip, no matter how harmless it is,” she told him with a rueful smile. 

Back at Mystic Falls high, she had spent most of her time trying to stay under the radar. She had seen how vicious gossip could be and so she faded into the background until taking a backseat to Elena and Caroline became second nature. 

“Come along then, the others are waiting.” 

Kol took the basket from her and put his hand on the small of her back. 

“You really didn’t need to come all the way here.” 

“Yes, I did,” he winked at her. “Mystic Falls doesn’t seem as safe even if the witch hunters are dead.” 

“So that kind of thing doesn’t normally happen here?” 

“Not at all. What’s it like where you are from?” Kol looked at her with an expression of curiosity and excitement. “Where are you from anyway?” 

“You probably haven’t heard of it, it’s - ehm,” she frantically thought of a location. “It’s called Whitmore.” 

“Peculiar name.” 

“Yeah, it’s -” 

“A settlement with Vikings as well?” Kol suggested. 

“Yes!” Bonnie said her voice squeaking as she latched onto the excuse. “And it’s far away from here.” 

Kol flashed another heart stopping smile. They were outside of the Mikaelson home now. Rebekah came bounding along, holding Henrik’s hand and running across the yard. They were both laughing and grinning like a couple of little kids. 

“Bonnie!” Rebekah cried. 

She dropped Henrik’s hand and threw her arms around Bonnie’s neck. Startled, she took a step back and laughed. She was fairly certain the Original vampire would never hug her in the future, but she happily returned it. 

Rebekah grabbed her wrist and started pulling her toward the stables. 

“Where’s the fire, Bekah?” Kol asked laughing. 

“Yeah,” Bonnie said grinning from ear to ear. “I’m sure the horses won’t run away. I think.” 

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride?” Rebekah said. She turned around and stared at Bonnie, completely scandalized. 

“No, not really,” Bonnie grimaced. 

“That’s an easy fix,” Kol said with a wicked smile, she did not trust. “You can ride with me.” 

Bonnie turned scarlet. Fortunately, she was spared having to think of a reply because a foul-tempered Mikael came storming out of the house. He was hot on Klaus’s heels and instinctively, Bonnie shifted to a cautionary attitude. She couldn’t help herself, between Klaus and Mikael, she was bound to be on edge. 

“Oh no, storm incoming,” Kol muttered. 

Henrik disappeared. Bonnie looked and found him hiding among the horses they kept out back in a fenced in the clearing. She had the strong urge to follow Henrik, but she didn’t want to leave Kol and Rebekah alone with Mikael’s wrath. With indecision holding her back, she stayed rooted to the spot. 

When had she started to care about Rebekah? 

Or even Kol for that matter? 

Boy, were things ever upside down for her. But that was life in Mystic Falls, regardless of the century apparently. 

Mikael came to a furious stop in front of them. 

“This is a waste of time. You should be working THAT IS HOW WE SURVIVE!” 

Bonnie flinched. Kol took a deep breath and plastered on a cheery smile. No wonder, he always seemed psychotically happy no matter the circumstances. 

“Father, with all due respect we have completed our chores and I have the day off from my apprenticeship,” Kol said pleasantly. “As does Nik. And Bekah – well mother and Ayanna don’t need her help today.” 

Mikael’s eyes narrowed and a vein was still pulsing dangerously in his forehead, but he looked less likely to murder someone. 

“Your children promised to give me a tour of the area,” Bonnie said stepping up next to Rebekah. She put on a friendly, vacant smile. It was the same one she used at cheerleading. 

Mikael eyed her suspiciously, but nodded. “The others may go, but Niklaus needs more training.” 

Looking like a kicked puppy dog, Klaus went toward the house. In spite of herself, Bonnie found herself feeling sorry for him. If someone had told her a few days ago, she would feel sympathy for Klaus, she would have thought they were crazy. It was a shame, he would turn into such a tyrannical ego-maniac. 

Unless she could prevent it. 

Being here, seeing the Originals and what they were like before they became vampires, it only reinforced her conviction. 

“Let’s go,” Kol told her, he nudged her toward the horses. 

Rebekah was already by Henrik, having fled at the first available opportunity. Kol didn’t look happy about leaving Klaus behind, but he also wasn’t arguing. Did he suspect why Mikael was harder on Klaus than the others? 

The horses were beautiful and she happily stroked the muzzle of a chestnut colored mare. Rebekah and Kol were repacking the picnic basket into a bag they could take with them on a horse. Henrik was chattering excitedly about the horses to Bonnie. 

“Her name is Starlight and she is really gentle,” Henrik explained. 

“Is she yours?” 

“Yeah,” he said beaming with pride. 

“She’s lovely,” Bonnie said. 

She felt a surge of affection for Henrik and a wave of sadness at the idea of something happening to him. He deserved to grow up and lead a normal life just like everyone else she knew, who had their lives ruined by vampires. It was the same reason why Elena had sent Jeremy away, his memories compelled by Damon. But the difference was, she had tampered with Jeremy’s mind without his knowledge. 

Poor Jeremy, Bonnie thought. She wondered how he was doing and if anyone had told him she was gone yet. 

Kol came up behind her just then. He ruffled Henrik’s hair and put his hand on Bonnie’s lower back. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, and she could feel his breath on her ear and fanning on her cheek. A shiver ran down her spine and she turned into him. 

“Ready to go?” 

Bonnie nodded. 

That brought another thought. One, she hadn’t allowed herself to contemplate before. Primarily, because she was so far away, it hadn’t seemed important before. But what would Jeremy think of her and Kol? Would he be hurt, angry, jealous or worst of all, betrayed? 

But she was more than a thousand years in the past and the sun was shining. Kol was still human and one of the sweetest boys she had ever met, so the idea was difficult to process. She turned her face up to the sky and let Kol lead her to his horse. 

It was a black stallion that looked temperamental. It kept snorting and clawing its hoofs into the dirt. Bonnie felt a little apprehensive. 

“Uhm, Kol I don’t think your horse likes me very much.” 

“Thunder is fine. So long as you don’t show any fear,” he chuckled. 

“That is not at all comforting.” 

Still chuckling, Kol hopped on the horse. He held a hand out to her and pulled her up. She sat in front of him, legs straddling either side of the horse. Riding bareback was definitely different from riding with a saddle, but Kol wrapped his arms around her waist. He guided her hands, showing her how to hold onto the mane. Kol rode off and Bonnie let out a squeal of excitement as they set off at a gallop.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been two weeks since, since Bonnie and Kol arrived in the past. She had spent her mornings and afternoons, brewing the sleeping potion. Now all she needed to do was find a way to slip it to Klaus and Henrik when the time came. In the evenings, Bonnie spent her time with the Mikaelson siblings. Sometimes all of them and sometimes just Kol. Those were her favorite days and she was starting to feel like a part of the family. All of the Mikaelson siblings even Klaus, were growing on her. 

Then there was vampire Kol. He crept into her room every evening and slept on the bed. It wasn’t her favorite thing in the world, but she couldn’t blame him. And honestly, she felt a little bad thinking of him sleeping in the forest every night. Besides, it felt ridiculous to let him sleep outside when they were still bloodsharing. 

There was one big problem with vampire Kol though. He was still relentlessly suspicious of the time she spent with his human self (she completely understood why because if she was going to return to her time, why was she dating him?) and as suspicious as he was, he was also ridiculously jealous of himself. 

Just like he was right now. 

“I just don’t understand, why you keep refusing my offer to teach you to use a sword, little witch?” Kol said flopping down in the kitchen chair next to hers. 

Bonnie had a sip of tea and used the cup to hide a wry smile. 

“Technically, you are teaching me.” 

“No, I’m not,” Kol said with a sulky look. “As you are well aware. It’s bad enough you are refusing my company however, now I will have to spend the entire evening with my head in pain.” 

“Well if you taught me the end result would probably be an aneurism for you so I guess it kind of evens out.” 

Kol glowered. “Very amusing. Is this what passes as humor in your generation? Because I must say, things have truly gone downhill.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. 

“I really don’t think what you care, Kol.” 

“Oh, but you do. Your human boyfriend is still me, little witch.” 

Bonnie paled and tensed. They’d had this argument plenty of times over the last two weeks. And she was done with it. 

“I have to go.” 

Bonnie got to her feet just as Ayanna came rushing into the room. 

“I have communicated with the spirits and they say someone is trying to communicate with us.” 

Bonnie and Kol both turned to her, alert. Their previous argument forgotten. 

“Who?” 

“Is it one my relatives or one of her pesky friends?” 

“I don’t know,” Ayanna said looking pensive. “But we will have to open you both up for communication on another plane.” 

Bonnie swallowed nervously. That was dangerous magic. So dangerous it rivalled anything she had done in the past. If anything went even the tiniest bit wrong, they could end up stuck or lost on another plane of existence outside of time and space. 

XXX 

Rebekah paced the library nervously. The Salvatores were present and she was seriously considering torturing Damon until he died. He’d completely rejected her after they slept together. And that ditz, Caroline was squawking about Bonnie this and Bonnie that. Elena just kept eyeing Klaus and looking as if she wanted to leave. 

Rebekah looked more closely at Caroline and realized the two of them might actually be the only people present, who truly cared about Bonnie. Elena certainly didn’t look as if she could be bothered to go on any rescue missions. And the Salvatores were likely only here to escort their precious doppelganger. 

And when had Rebekah started to care about Bonnie anyway? 

Rebekah wasn’t sure exactly when her memories had started to cloud her feelings in the present. Because before all she cared about was bringing Kol back in one piece, but now she wanted them both back. As sad as it was, after weeks of spending time with Bonnie when she was human, she considered the young witch a friend. Possibly the only real friend Rebekah had ever had outside of her insane family. She had memories of riding with Bonnie, laughing and giggling. Sharing secrets with one another. 

Nik on the other hand didn’t seem concerned with Kol’s disappearance, he kept shooting threatening glares at Katherine. Whereas Elijah was gazing at her with a moon-eyed stare. 

Apparently, she was also the only person, who cared about Kol. Then again, how could she expect someone, who acted as Nik’s faithful servant to have any loyalty to the rest of them? And as for Nik he was a tyrant. He murdered their mother in cold-blood and carted the rest of them around in coffins, what else could be expected of him? Of course, he didn’t care if Kol got lost in the past so long as Bonnie didn’t stop them from turning. 

Well if Rebekah had any say in anything, they were both coming back. So pulling herself together, she gathered her composure. She looked at Katherine with an ice-cold stare, which would terrify most people. 

“When is your witch arriving, Doppelbitch?” Rebekah drawled arrogantly. 

“I am no one’s witch,” an angry voice snapped. 

A second later, a woman, who looked like a taller Bonnie walked into the room. 

“No? Then why did you come when Katherine called?” 

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Because she said my cousin was in danger. Now where is my aunt?” 

“She skipped town,” Caroline said with disgust. 

“Excellent, this situation just keeps getting better and better,” Rebekah groaned. 

“Can someone tell me what happened to my cousin?” 

Elijah dutifully explained as much as they knew of the situation to Lucy. Katherine regularly chimed in, practically crowing about their misfortune. 

“Poor Kol, lost in time,” Katherine clucked. “With no one for comfort except that cold, judgmental little witch.” 

“Shut up, Katherine or I’ll murder you,” Rebekah said with a malicious twist to her lips. “After all, now that Lucy is here, you have fulfilled your purpose.” 

“That’s a fair point,” Nik chimed in. 

Katherine didn’t as much as flinch, but it was hardly a surprise when she moved closer to Elijah. He was probably her one ally in this room. She twirled Elijah’s tie around her fingertips and smiled at him. 

“But ‘Lijah invited me here,” she purred. 

Elijah cleared his throat and looked away, but Rebekah still saw the smile playing on his lips. Pity his taste in women was so terrible. 

“Enough, already,” Lucy rolled her eyes. She waved her hands at all of the vampires. “I don’t know what is going on with you lot, but I am here for one reason only. I just want to get my cousin back so can we get to the spellcasting already? Who has the grimoire with the freaky time magic spells?” 

“Elijah has them, assuming Katherine can take her hands off him for two seconds, he can grab them,” Elena snapped. 

“Jealous, much?” Katherine asked with a mischievous smile. 

Yeah, that much was obvious, Rebekah noted. Elena much like Katherine was a jealous cow whenever a man paid attention to any other woman. 

“Here is the grimoire, Miss Bennett,” Elijah said politely passing her an ancient and tattered book. 

Lucy looked around and her eyes landed on Rebekah. She flashed a wolfish smile. 

“You, you can help me with the spell.” 

“Me?” 

“Her?” Caroline said shrill. 

“No!” Elena cried. 

Poor Elena always so distraught when she was not the center of attention. 

“Can I go now? I’m really not invested in this,” Damon asked making crazy eyes. 

“Me either,” Stefan said. “Although the witch is useful.” 

Rebekah shot him a dirty look. She had thought Bonnie and Stefan were friends. 

Pity, this Ripper Stefan was so different from the one she had known in the 20’s. She missed that Stefan. He had been a blast and they’d been such a couple. 

“Why her?” Nik demanded in a low growl. As distrustful and hostile as always. 

“Because, she was once a witch,” Lucy said as if it were obvious. “And she is the only person here, who cares about both Bonnie and Kol. That connection and her bloodtie to your lunatic brother? It’ll make finding them in the other plane all the easier.” 

“How do you know Kol is a lunatic?”   
“He’s spent a millennia among witches and has quite the reputation, of course, I know about him,” Lucy stated giving Rebekah a serious look. 

“Well then come along. We can do the casting in the library, it’s both quiet and private,” Rebekah said. 

She strode from the room, holding her head up high. 

“What about us?” Elena cried. 

“Wait until we have more information,” Lucy called over her shoulder. “I need quiet for this spell, nothing more. So how do you know my cousin?” 

Rebekah took her time answering. She walked on, leading the way through the mazelike and absurdly oversized manor her brother had restored for their family. It seemed ludicrous now. 

Finally, she decided there was no real harm in telling her the truth. If the Bennetts were anything like Ayanna they were fiercely loyal to other witches and family. Therefore, it was unlikely Lucy would be trouble for her. By all appearances, they were on the same page. 

“Because Bonnie was my first friend.” 

“You were friends? Katherine made it sound like you OG vamps were on the outs with Bonnie and her friends.” 

Rebekah rolled her eyes. “Not now, but when I was human. We have our memories because their presence there is changing things and Bonnie was my friend.” 

“How do you know she isn’t plotting to kill you? Like your mother wants.” 

“Because she’s had plenty of chances to kill us and she hasn’t. Instead, she is our playmate.” 

“Yeah, my cuz doesn’t exactly have killer instincts.” 

Rebekah laughed. “That’s not what Nik says.” 

“Vampires don’t count, but humans? She’d never kill humans,” Lucy said with a certainty that surprised Rebekah. 

She couldn’t recall the last time, she’d had that kind of blind faith in a person. 

They reached the library and Lucy began setting up. She took candles out of a bag. She ground foul-smelling herbs, preparing them to be burned. The sight brought back memories of her childhood. Spellcasting with her mother, Kol and Ayanna. Those were some of the only times she had been truly happy. Recently new memories were added to that, a few spells with Bonnie and Kol. Surprisingly, she enjoyed those memories as well. 

“How did you know I care about Kol as well as Bonnie?” Rebekah asked she sat down cross-legged in front of Lucy. 

“The spirits told me,” Lucy said without looking up from the herbs she was grinding. Her long dark hair covered her face. 

Upon closer inspection, she didn’t look like her cousin. Not really. They both had good bone structure and were pretty, but that was where the similarities ended. 

“The spirits?” 

“Yeah,” Lucy said and Rebekah could hear her rolling her eyes. “Don’t tell me you don’t know?” 

“Don’t know what?” Rebekah snapped impatiently. 

“The Bennetts are either psychic or they can communicate with spirits.” 

“Charming talent, truly,” Rebekah said coldly. “But why do you even need me here?” 

“Well it’s a twofer, really. I need you to connect me here like an anchor so I don’t get lost in the spirit world or trapped there. And I need your connection to Kol if I am going to make contact with him and Bonnie.” 

“So why do I need to care about Bonnie?” 

“Because,” Lucy snapped her fingers and a hush fell over the room. “I don’t trust the rest of them out there. They are willing to leave either Bonnie or Kol in the past. And I figure the safest way out of this mess is for them both to come back. Otherwise? I'm thinking Mystic Falls will turn into a war zone.” 

Rebekah sensed she wasn’t getting the full truth. Her vampire senses picked up on the slightest hesitation and change in her otherwise steady heartbeat. 

“And what do you care about my brother for?” 

“Because I know how to bring them back, but it won’t be easy. It’s a long trip and my cousin will need someone, who can watch her back.” 

“Aren’t the Bennetts bulletproof?” Rebekah remarked dryly. 

“No, and you know that,” Lucy growled. “Besides, what do you think your brother would do to Bonnie if we tried to bring her back without him?” 

“He would massacre her,” Rebekah replied point-blank. 

“Exactly, and there’s a good chance Bonnie would kill him first, but I am not gambling with my cousin’s life. So you and I need to work together to keep the others from bungling this. They come back together and then we can sort out this whole mess.” 

“Excellent,” Rebekah smirked. “But if we do this, you and your family step aside. No more attempts on our life with our mother. And in return, I’ll keep my brothers from turning on you and Bonnie.” 

“You have a deal,” Lucy said firmly. “And if we pull this off, I am dragging Bonnie from this dangerous hellhole kicking and screaming. I should never have left her here in the first place, that was my mistake.” 

“Fantastic. Now let’s get on with the spell, shall we, Lucy my sweet?” 

XXX 

“So we go into a deep sleep?” Bonnie said. 

“A trance of sorts,” Ayanna explained. 

“A magically induced one,” Kol said and the skepticism was evident in his voice. 

Bonnie glanced at him and was happy to see, she wasn’t the only one, who didn’t like the idea of being knocked unconscious. Ayanna might be family, but she was shrewdly plotting against Kol all the while keeping up the pretense of being on their side. That sort of skillful acting – well it made her leery. 

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a good idea.” 

“It is the only way,” Ayanna said her eyes and voice alight with the fervor of her insistence. She leaned forward, green eyes shining brightly. “The spirits tell me someone is trying to breach through time, they need to speak with you and if you are conscious they will not succeed.” 

“Who are they?” Kol demanded. 

He had his hand on Bonnie’s shoulder as if ready to pull her away at a second’s notice. It was as if he wasn’t even aware of that, which she found disturbing. With all of his memories of the time she spent with his human self, the bloodsharing and even that kiss – was he developing feelings for her? 

She hoped not. 

“I’m not sure, but they must have magic,” Ayanna said fast losing patience. 

“We’ll do it when I get back,” Bonnie said moving to the door. “Kol is waiting for me. Other Kol.” 

Vampire Kol groaned. “You know this will end in heartbreak, little witch and I’ll be the shoulder you cry on, which frankly sounds like a tedious job.” 

Bonnie shot him a dirty look and hurried outside. 

Human Kol was waiting just outside of Ayanna’s house. He never came inside, seeming instead to prefer to lean against the wall. She smiled and half-ran to him. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips that made heat course through her. Sparks ignited and she pressed herself closer, wanting more. Kol buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. 

“We should go,” she said in an embarrassed tone of voice. “If we are late again, your father might come looking for us.” 

“Then we should go.” 

Kol took her hand and they hurried into the forest together. Like always, Bonnie felt a thrill at learning to fight with a sword. 

XXX 

Kol was in terrible pain, the entire time Bonnie was gone. He was also dealing with an increasing amount of irritation and rage. Mostly, directed toward his younger self. He was so foolish, Kol could remember all of the daydreams and plans for the future. All of them centering around Bonnie. He would propose, she would remain in Mystic Falls with him. He would work as a blacksmith to support her and their family. Together they would work on their craft, their magic growing stronger. 

It was all nonsense. Kol knew instead what lay ahead was decades of searching for Bonnie. Then centuries of pining, growing angrier the longer he was separated from her. Because his vampire self may not be in love yet, but his human self was gone. Had been since the first time he laid eyes on Bonnie. 

It also didn’t help that Kol knew, he had never in his lifetime seen a woman, who could compare to Bonnie. Certainly, he had seen more beautiful women over the years even if they were rare. But there was something special about Bonnie, she was brave and kind. Selfless to the point of stupidity and Kol knew all too well how truly unique that was. 

And he had been trying something entirely unlike himself. He had been trying to be patient because he knew if he was, he could get Bonnie once they left this time. Unfortunately, after two weeks his patience was wearing thin. So a little treachery was in order. 

Fighting through the pain in his head, he fixed his hair. He made it look longer and appear to be the same as his past self. Then he set off at vampire speed toward the secluded spot in the woods he knew Bonnie was in. He stayed far enough away, Bonnie wouldn’t sense him. Some witches could and he had no idea if she was one of those or not. Bonnie wasn’t exactly forthcoming about her powers. 

He snapped some twigs and made some noise the second the sound of clanging and sword fighting died down. He could remember flirting with Bonnie and then he heard them tense, listening. 

“I’ll go have a look,” his past self-volunteered. 

Kol could remember what he had been feeling at the time. Afraid however, he was more afraid something might happen to Bonnie. 

XXX 

“No, I’m coming with you,” Bonnie said and grabbed human Kol’s arm. 

He looked down at her hand and gave her a lopsided smile she knew all too well. Gently, he peeled her fingers from his arm. 

“I’ll be fine. If I’m not back in two minutes run back to the village and get help.” 

“Kol, no,” she said giving him a pleading look. 

This definitely did not sit right with her. She wasn’t used to being protected, she was the cavalry. Yet for some reason whenever she was with Kol, he insisted on protecting her like she wasn’t a badass. 

“Bon, I know you’re a powerful witch,” Kol told her cupping her cheek. “But please for me wait here where I know it’s safe.” 

Bonnie muttered under her breath, but nodded in agreement. She could hang back, just this once. 

Kol kissed her gently on the lips. She sighed and stroked his cheek. 

“Be careful.” 

Kol winked at her before disappearing into the woods. She stood nervously, listening to the sounds of the forest and trying to see if she could pick up on any strange energy. She usually wasn’t very good at that. The other day when Kol had sensed his vampire self, she hadn’t picked up on much. Just the slightest change in the air and if Kol hadn’t noticed, she wouldn’t have either. 

She heard what sounded like something falling. This was followed by rustling that was getting closer and closer. So she did the only thing that came naturally to her, she rushed headlong into danger, sword held at the ready and mentally going over every defensive spell she knew. 

Kol emerged from the trees wearing a disarming smile and his hands in the air. For a second, she thought it was vampire Kol, but the hair was wrong. 

“Don’t attack, it’s just me,” he said with a laugh. 

Bonnie relaxed and lowered the sword. 

“Oh my God, Kol you scared me.” 

Kol grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He spun her around and pinned her back to his chest, his arms wrapping around her. He laughed and she joined in a giggle escaping her. 

“Apologies, my darling.” 

“Don’t do that again because next time I’m just going to attack,” she giggled and let her head fall back to his shoulder. 

Kol kissed her cheek and nibbled on her jaw. She sighed and snuggled closer, allowing herself to enjoy it for a minute. Then she straightened up and pushed him away. 

“What’s wrong?” he pouted and tugged on her hand, trying to bring her closer to him. 

“We should get out of here, this place creeps me out.” 

“What the woods?” he raised his eyebrows teasingly. “I hadn’t thought you one to be afraid of anything, love.” 

“Guess you don’t know me as well as you think.” 

“Suppose I don’t. I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” 

Bonnie grinned. “C’mon, let’s go before someone or something actually tries to kill us.” 

“Just one moment, there’s something I’d like to do first.” 

Bonnie tilted her head to the side and looked at him. “What is it?” 

The words were barely out of her mouth before Kol had her in his arms. His lips captured hers. He walked her backwards and soon, she hit the nearest tree. Kol wrapped his arms around her, hand tangling into her hair at the nape of her neck. His arm protected her from the rough bark of the tree. 

The kiss turned heated and it was all-consuming, rough and needy. Soon, Bonnie was gasping for breath and tilting her head back to breathe. Kol kissed his way down her neck hot, open-mouthed kisses. She pressed herself closer, nails digging into his shoulders. Heat raced through her and her core throbbed painfully with need. 

“Kol,” she moaned. 

“What do you need, little witch?” he murmured in her ear. His voice was rough with need. 

Little witch, her Kol rarely called her that. But then his tongue traced circles on her earlobe, scattering all thought. A mewl escaped her parted lips. With his free hand, he pulled her skirt up. His fingers clutched her thigh and electricity spread from his touch. He pulled her legs around his waist, hosting her against him. She felt his hardness press against her. 

She gasped when Kol slid his hand between her parted thighs. His fingers played against her skin outside of her panties. Wildfire coursed through her whole body and she pressed herself closer on instinct. 

But then a moment in the cave underneath the waterfall sprang to mind. Kol had been embarrassed to as much as lift her skirt, he’d sworn he’d never go further than kissing unless they were married. She was the one that always let him know how far they could go. And now he was touching her so intimately? 

Oh, no. 

She should have seen it sooner. The hint of predatory energy that clung to Kol. The magic that sustained him as a vampire. 

Furiously, she lashed out with her magic. Kol went flying through the clearing. He hit a tree on the other end. He was back on his feet in an instant. 

“What the bloody hell did you do that for, little witch?” 

Kol took a furious step toward her. 

“Me? You’re the one imitating my boyfriend!” 

Kol’s furious expression was immediately replaced by a playful smile. “Boyfriend?” he asked mischief plain in his voice and dancing in his eyes. “Really? What a scandal!” 

“Oh, you know what I mean,” Bonnie said grimacing and infusing as much disgust into her voice as possible. “And how could you trick me like that?” 

“Yes, I do know what you mean,” Kol smirked. “As for you, newsflash I am your boyfriend.” 

Bonnie groaned and pulled at her own hair. “Yes, you are the same person technically, but you are like a thousand years older, but my boyfriend is a seventeen year old warlock and you? You’re an ancient Original vampire. And you are super annoying!” 

“I’ll have you know, most women consider me extremely charming.” 

“What did you do to -” oh god, this was so confusing. “Other you?” 

Kol looked around innocently. “I’m here, what is the difference?” 

“You know what the difference is.” 

“You kissed me and rather passionately too.” 

“Just now?” she exclaimed. “That doesn’t count.” 

“Two weeks ago,” Kol said and he actually looked hurt. 

Horror washed over Bonnie as recalled that moment. She had bloodshared with Kol and had been swept up in the moment. But it hadn’t happened since, she had made sure of that. She kept her distance, carefully keeping her emotions in check, reminding herself he was not her Kol. And she hadn’t lingered after the act. 

She had thought she was doing the right thing, keeping his hopes down. Instead, it looked like all she had succeeded in doing was hurting him. Which she had to admit, wasn’t fair on Kol. As confusing as the two Kol thing must be for here, it must be even worse for him. 

“I’m sorry about that,” Bonnie said meaning it. “That wasn’t fair and I just forgot. But you had to know you would get caught.” 

“I am bored and frustrated. I have to stay out of sight from everyone except you and Ayanna. Only you are never around. What am I supposed to do with myself?” 

Bonnie sighed. “Look, can we just let this go?” 

“Fine,” Kol grinned 

Bonnie squeezed her eyes tightly shut and decided to ignore him and his nonsense. 

“Now where are you or past you or whatever?” 

This really was confusing. 

“Back through there,” Kol said pouting again. “You like him more than you do me. But we are the same person.” 

“Don’t pout, it’s not attractive in a man your age.” 

Bonnie pinched his cheek and winked at him. 

“I’d never be foolish enough to think you would run away from a fight!” he called after her. 

No, but the first time they met, he had thought she was willing to walk away from one. He’d learned he was wrong the hard way. 

With that she went to find human Kol, who was lying face down in the dirt a few minutes away. The vampire hadn’t been kind to his past self. 

“Oh, Kol,” she murmured and stroked his hair. 

Gently, she turned him over. Her fingers ghosted along his face, she let out a little magic trickle out with each touch. She could feel it leaving her fingertips with an electric spark. Kol blinked and opened his eyes. He smiled up at her. 

“Bonnie? What happened?” his voice was hoarse. 

There was a little blood on the back of his head, he found it when he touched his fingers to it. 

“I’m not sure. You were supposed to run away.” 

“Lucky for you, I didn’t.” 

Bonnie put his arm around her shoulder and helped him walk back home. Then she went straight back to Ayanna’s. 

As predicted Kol lounging in the kitchen while Ayanna made a stew. 

“Would it kill you to help?” Bonnie snapped at him. 

Watching him sit on his butt while Ayanna worked her fingers to the bone irritated her to no end. 

“I hunted that meat and butchered it, I’ll have you know, little witch.” 

Kol flashed a thousand kilowatt smile and put his feet on the table. 

“It’s alright, Bonnie,” Ayanna said soothingly. “It just so happens Kol is a terrible chef anyway.” 

“I am not,” he scoffed offended. 

“Don’t mind him. His ego is out of control,” Bonnie told Ayanna. 

Ayanna laughed and went back to chopping vegetables for the stew. 

“How was your date with Kol?” 

“Complicated,” Bonnie said carefully avoiding Kol’s eye. 

“You don’t say,” Ayanna’s tone was knowing. “The potion is there.” 

Bonnie followed her gaze and saw a glass vial. The bottle was white and there was a silver ornament on it with a diamond in the middle. The lid was silver. Bonnie was no expert, but it looked expensive. She opened it and sniffed. The contents smelled bitter and it was purple. 

“Okay, we’ll be back.”   
“No more than one mouthful,” Ayanna called after them. 

When they were alone in the guest room, Bonnie turned to Kol. 

“Does it smell like poison to you?” she practically shoved it up his nose. 

“You know, little witch poisoning vampires is rather difficult we tend to smell it.” 

He sidestepped her hand and the bottle. 

“It smells bitter!” Bonnie insisted waving the bottle at her. 

Kol snatched it from her and sniffed it. His expression was one of pure exasperation. 

“It’s not poisoned,” he said. “And for future reference, most poisons are disguised with sweeter fragrances or perhaps something floral.” 

“Got it.” 

“Cheers!” 

Kol raised the bottle to his lips. He had a sip and almost immediately toppled over. She just barely managed to grab the bottle before it hit the floor. Contrary to Kol, she made sure to sit down before having a sip. Then she hurried to put the bottle on the nightstand. Next thing she knew, the world went black. 

XXX 

Rebekah held Lucy’s hands. The witch was chanting, bringing Rebekah along with her. They were attempting to reach the astral plane. A place outside of space and time. If Lucy could transfer their consciousnesses to that plane then hopefully they would be able to make contact with Bonnie or Kol. Assuming they were asleep. If they weren’t then they would have to keep trying until they succeeded. Or as Lucy explained, if they were in an altered state, open to communication across time and space, it would be a whole lot easier. 

Rebekah peeked, Lucy’s eyes were closed. A light sweat was beading on her forehead, which was creased in concentration. Her hands were soft and manicured, Rebekah noted. Lucy was a lot more stylish than her drab cousin, there was no denying it. 

“Omnia spiritus sanctum,” Lucy chanted. 

Rebekah’s vision started to blur. The world spun around her and in the blink of an eye, she was in a black room. There was no light. The only thing she could see was the glow illuminating Lucy. It was a white light and Lucy looked translucent, but Rebekah could still feel her hands in hers. Looking down at herself, Rebekah saw she too looked translucent. 

“This must be the astral plane,” Rebekah drawled looking around. “It’s rather depressing, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah, so let’s hurry up so we can get the hell out of here,” Lucy said looking around nervously. She dropped Rebekah’s one hand, but kept the other tucked firmly in hers. “Don’t let go of me, if you do you’ll end up back in the world and I won’t be able to find Bonnie or Kol.” 

“What do you need me for again?” Rebekah was still fuzzy on the details. 

“You are going to ground me, you’re my anchor. See I am the part of the spell that allows us to come to this plane, but you are the part that allows me to go home. You are also going to act as a honing beacon for Bonnie and Kol’s souls. If they are here, they’ll sense us and arrive here with us.” 

“That’s it then? We just wait?” Rebekah was flabbergasted, this made zero sense. 

“Pretty much. Kinda anti-climactic, huh?” 

“I’ll say.” 

XXX 

Kol appeared in a black landscape. It was like being in a room without light. A faint glow caught his eye and he grinned. 

Bekah. 

Fantastic. 

“Sister, dear!” Kol exclaimed. “Fancy seeing you here. How did you pull this particular bit of magic off then?” 

“I have a witch in my corner,” Rebekah smirked. “You need a haircut, brother.” 

Bonnie appeared next to him. 

“Kol! Where are you, Kol?” 

“Right here, little witch,” he reached out and caught her wrist. She turned and stared up at him with wide eyes. He snuck his hand lower, lacing their fingers together. “Never been to the astral plane before, I take it?” 

Bonnie shook her head. She looked around and when she saw her cousin, a smile lit up her face. 

“Lucy!” she squealed. “Oh my God, is that really you?” 

“Cuz,” Lucy grinned. “I missed you and your friends told me you are in a heap of trouble.” 

“Same old, same old,” Bonnie shrugged. 

She was adorable when she did that. Kol loved seeing her happy. 

“Why did you wish to speak with us?” Kol said realizing he had no idea how long the effects of the potion would last. 

“We need to know if you had found a way home,” Lucy said immediately before Rebekah could speak. 

“No,” Bonnie said. “But Ayanna is working on it.” 

“Ayanna?” Lucy gaped at her. “Like the first Bennett, Ayanna?” 

“That’s the one,” Bonnie said exchanging disbelieving looks with Lucy. 

Lucy whistled. “Now that’s cool.” 

“We think we might have found a way home,” Rebekah said. “There are times and places throughout history where magic pools strongly.” 

“A magical nexus,” Kol remarked. “Someone’s been through my collection of grimoires.” 

Bonnie looked up at him in surprise. He had a collection of grimoires? But he was a vampire. 

“It was Lucy’s doing,” Rebekah said. 

“Yes, but Rebekah was the one that knew where to find these nexuses,” Lucy said exchanging smiles with Rebekah. 

What was this? Had his baby sister actually made a friend? My, what a surprise. 

“If you can get to these points then you can travel home through them,” Rebekah said. “Do you recall these times and places?” 

“Well if I understood the reading correctly, they occur roughly every three centuries, but I had no idea they could be used for time travel.” 

“It’s sort of an untested theory,” Lucy said grimacing. “As far as I know, it’s never actually been done. Just theorized.” 

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing?” Rebekah hissed under her breath, but with his hearing he heard her anyway. 

“I have heard rumors that the Gemini coven has dabbled in it along with pocket worlds. Those are just rumors, I don’t actually know anyone who has ever tried anything half this complicated,” Lucy argued. 

“Can’t we just reopen Esther’s portal and come straight back?” Bonnie asked. 

Bonnie was trying to disguise it, but Kol heard the fear in her voice. 

“I doubt it,” Kol said. “In theory we can, but she was channeling your entire family line. You don’t have that kind of power and trying to recreate her spell, it could very well kill you.” 

Bonnie’s blood ran cold. 

“I’ll work out some way for us to track these nexuses,” Kol said with a thoughtful look on his face. “There has to be one here and in Mystic Falls during the full moon. Otherwise, our mother would never have been able to send us through time.” 

Bonnie thought she was following the general concept. But this was verging in on physics, which was a subject she was even worse at than history. 

“That’s why we landed here three months before your transition,” Bonnie said suddenly struck by the answer. “It never made sense why she would dump me here so far in advance, but she didn’t have a choice, did she?” 

“Precisely,” Kol said. “Is there anything else we should know?” 

XXX 

Rebekah watched in amazement as Kol casually put his arm around Bonnie’s shoulder. She also didn’t miss how the witch allowed him to do so. No snappy remark, no tossing his arm aside, just letting it stay there. 

How curious. 

Rebekah had suspected Kol was involved with the witch. However, she had not thought those emotions would extend to his vampire self. But she shouldn’t have been surprised, if anyone could get a vampire hating witch like Bonnie to loosen up and give a vampire a chance, it was Kol. He had always had a way with women. 

Rebekah also decided not to tell Bonnie’s friends she had a dalliance going with Kol. They were a judgmental lot and who knew what they would do? Look at how far they went to protect Elena, surely they would do something equally drastic to keep an Original vampire away from Bonnie? 

“Nothing in particular.” 

“What about my mom?” Bonnie said immediately. 

Rebekah could tell by the look on her face it was a question she had been dying to ask. She could also tell, she had hesitated because she was afraid of the answer. After a thousand years, Rebekah could facial expressions the way humans read books. 

“She transitioned,” Lucy said gently. 

“Caroline is helping her,” Rebekah said hoping it would comfort her. “Well was helping her.” 

“She left town,” Lucy said and her expression was apologetic. “I’m so sorry, cuz.” 

“Right,” Bonnie nodded and her expression was equal parts relieved and heartbroken. 

Kol's arm went more protectively around her. Rebekah’s eyes narrowed as she took that in. They really were romantically involved. How surprising. 

Yes, that was best kept to themselves. 

“We should go,” Rebekah said. “The others are waiting.” 

“Thank you sister dear,” Kol said with a smile and a nod. 

“My pleasure.” 

Bonnie smiled and waved at Lucy, who stopped the spell. 

Rebekah came to again. The library spun back into focus. Then Lucy’s face. Her green eyes were hard and determined, but there were lines of fatigue surrounding her eyes. A trickle of sweat ran down her forehead. No doubt the casting had taken its toll on her. 

“Woah, that was a trip,” Lucy said with a wicked smile. 

“I’ll say,” Rebekah agreed. “I need to ask you to keep something quiet,” she said lowering her voice to a whisper. 

“Why?” Lucy said suspiciously. 

“Because I don’t know what her friends will do if they find out she is involved with my brother.” 

Lucy’s brows knit together. “Why would you think they would care?” 

“Because they are nosy and judgmental and if they do something that could hurt him -” 

“What could they possibly do? He's trapped in the past.” 

“I know that, but you don’t know Bonnie’s friends. They are tenacious and they somehow always manage to find a way to muck things up.” 

“I get it and if they meddle in some stupid attempt to protect my cousin, they could end up hurting her,” Lucy agreed. “I’m not too impressed with them so far so what do you say we keep them out of the loop?” 

“I like the way you think,” Rebekah smirked. “I’ll let my brothers know.” 

“Good,” Lucy’s answering smile was dazzling. “And we should probably try to keep Katherine out of the loop too.” 

“I like the way you think,” Rebekah replied with a sly smile. “Suppose I’ll find a way to convince Elijah it’s for the best.” 

XXX 

Bonnie woke slowly. Her head felt like it had been stuffed full of cotton and the bedroom ceiling was fuzzy. Her head was pounding. 

“Kol?” she mumbled. 

He was the last thing she remembered. Something about asking him to check for poison. There rest was hazy. She saw snatches of images, a dark place, Rebekah, her cousin Lucy and Kol holding her hand. It must have been a dream, if only her head would stop pounding, she could think clearly. 

“Right here, little witch,” he said but there was none of the usual warmth or flirtation or even arrogance in his voice that she had grown accustomed to. He sounded as groggy as she felt. 

“What happened?” 

“I think the spell work.” 

Kol sat up, rubbed his head and broke into a cheery smile. “Well I feel better, what about you?” 

“My heard hurts,” she mumbled and pulled the pillow over her face. 

With this throbbing pain between her eyes even the light from the candle on the nightstand was too much. 

“Coming back from the astral plane can take its toll on the human body unless they are used to it.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“I’ll go see what Ayanna has for a headache.” 

Bonnie heard Kol leave the room. His normally quiet almost soundless gait suddenly sounded too loud. She used the pillow to cover her ears too. Was this what vampire senses felt like? If so, it totally explained why new vampires went crazy. It was like sensory overload. 

She heard footsteps returning. She smelled a strong and potent tea. 

“Kol?” Bonnie moved the pillow aside and saw Kol was watching her with an amused twist of his lips. “I am in pain, why are you smiling like a jerk?” 

“Oh nothing. Does the term karma mean anything to you?” 

Bonnie snatched the tea he offered her. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Just all those hours you were content to leave me with a headache so you could spend time with your human boyfriend.” 

“Now you just sound jealous.” 

“Very amusing. Where is Ayanna?” 

“I don’t know. Isn't she in the kitchen?” 

“No, she’s gone, little witch.” 

Bonnie sat up straight. She had a sip of the tea and almost immediately felt some of the throbbing pain in her forehead ease. 

“That’s weird. She didn’t say anything.” 

“Yes, it is weird,” Kol said looking thoughtful. “I’m going to track her down.” 

“How?”   
“Sense of smell.” 

“Right and that’s totally gross.” 

Kol rolled his eyes. “I’ll be back soon.” 

Bonnie didn’t have time to respond before he disappeared in the blink of an eye. 

“Vampires,” she muttered to herself. 

Bonnie finished her tea and went to sleep, fully aware neither Kol nor Ayanna were back yet. 

XXX 

When Bonnie woke the next morning, she wasn’t surprised to see Kol next to her. He was on his back, snoring softly. She nudged him and he woke. He opened one eye and smiled mischievously at her. 

“What is it, little witch?” 

“Where’d you go last night?” 

“I found her, she was with Esther. Trying to dissuade her from working on the spell that turned us into vampires.” 

“I thought Esther didn’t start that until after Henrik died?” 

“Neither did I, but apparently mother has her secrets as well. She probably only restrained herself until after Henrik’s death due to Ayanna’s influence.” 

“But why? She hadn’t lost any children yet.” 

“She lost two children on the journey here,” Kol said. “Finn’s older siblings, I believe. Neither she nor father ever speak of it.” 

“Huh,” Bonnie said taking all that in. Then she thought maybe human Elijah had mentioned it once. “Well come on, we have to work out a way to track the nexuses. Maybe some kind of magic honing spell?” 

“I was thinking the same thing,” Kol said. “Perhaps a compass?” 

“A compass?” Bonnie said raising her eyebrows. 

Wow, Kol really was old school. The closest she had come to a compass in years was her car’s GPS. 

“Yes, a compass,” Kol rolled his eyes. “And I have one here.” 

He held out a crude and old battered compass. It wasn’t as advanced as the ones her dad used to use when they went camping when she was a kid, but it had the general idea in place. 

“And who did you steal that from?” 

“My past self. He'll never miss it.” 

“How did you get in the house?” 

“I have no idea, darling. The usual vampire repellent doesn’t work on that home for some reason.” 

Bonnie’s stomach gnawed with worry. She didn’t like the idea of Kol being able to stroll freely into any home in the village. What if he decided bloodsharing with her wasn’t enough? 

“Seriously? What about the other homes?” she asked trying to disguise her worry as surprise. 

“It works on them,” he shrugged. “Perhaps it is because it was once my home.” 

“Maybe,” Bonnie said worrying on her bottom lip. “Crap, I have to go.” 

“No, you have to spell this compass for me.” 

“Get Ayanna to do it.” 

“I don’t trust Ayanna.” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Fine, I'll do it when I get back.” 

“Rushing off to another date with my human self?” 

“Yes, actually I am.” 

Bonnie ignored Kol as she washed up and got ready to go. But she threw him out when she changed. Ayanna had given her a midnight blue dress. It hung loosely around her figure and a scooped neckline. The sleeves were short and it was perfect for the late summer heat. She slipped into the leather boots, Rebekah had given her. The other girl had originally made them for herself, but had done something wrong while sizing them. Since they were too small for her, she had gifted them to Bonnie, who gratefully accepted. 

If there was one thing Bonnie missed about the modern world, it was malls. She still hadn’t learned how to make her own clothes. She had been too busy learning to cook and skin the kills Kol brought home for them. 

Bonnie ran some oil through her curls and grinned at her reflection in the mirror. The longer she wore her hair naturally the more she liked it. At first, it had thrown her, but she thought it suited her. 

With a cheery wave at Kol and Ayanna, she went outside to see Kol. He was waiting for her as usual right outside of Ayanna’s house. He pulled her into a hug, took her hand and started to lead her to the falls. 

“Where are your siblings?” 

“Already there,” he said cracking a smile. “Rebekah has packed us a lunch and we have the whole day. I thought we could take the horses.” 

“That sounds perfect,” Bonnie agreed with a smile. 

Bonnie spent the entire morning and a good portion of the afternoon with Kol, Rebekah, Henrik and Klaus at the falls. It was a lot more fun than she would have thought. She laughed and joked. Klaus sketched a picture of her and Kol, which was sweet and he let her keep it. Promising to do another one for Kol. 

And Bonnie noticed that when they were human Kol and Klaus got along. She didn’t think that was the case in the future, but now they were friends. Kol kept trying to sneak glimpses of Klaus’ sketches, and he would hide them. 

Henrik had a great sense of humor. He was always laughing and playing. He told her stories of all the adventures he had been on playing with the other kids in the village. It made her heart ache whenever she looked into his dark eyes. He was such a sweet kid and she would do anything she had to ensure he got to grow up. 

Rebekah and Bonnie went swimming. They swam all the way over to the other side of the lake. They sat down on a rock at the edge of the water and gossiped about boys. Rebekah had a crush on Black Bear and wanted to ask him if he was interested in casting a spell or two with her. Having experienced the rush of spell casting with someone she was attracted to with Kol, Bonnie encouraged the idea. 

Finally, it was time to pack up. Bonnie lingered with Kol as the rest of his siblings went ahead. 

“I like your siblings,” she told Kol tugging on his hand. 

“I do too.” 

Kol used the hand he was holding to pull her against him. She smiled up at him and her heart skipped a beat when he flashed his Devil May Care smile at her. 

“But they are totally obvious,” she continued. Embarrassed she bit down on her bottom lip. “They only went ahead so we could have a private moment.” 

“Yes, they did.” 

Kol touched his forehead to hers. Unable to resist, she stood up on her toes and pressed her lips against his. It was a soft and gentle kiss that was all lips. And it took her breath away. When they finally pulled apart, she was gasping for breath. 

“We should go before your dad wonders where you are.” 

“We should, but there is something I'd like to ask you first.” 

“What is it?” 

Kol took a step back and gave her a serious look. “I know you can’t stay in Mystic Falls forever, you have to go back to your family.” 

What family? Bonnie thought, but didn’t say. After her Grams passed, it was just her and her dad, but he was almost never home. Still, thinking about him hurt and she felt an acute longing for him. 

“I know,” she said quietly. 

“But the thing is, I'd rather like you to stay.” 

To her surprise, Kol got down on one knee. Bonnie stared at him. 

Was he proposing right now? 

She had known he might at some point, but she didn’t think he would so soon. They were just teenagers, but then she remembered, in this time there was no such thing as teenagers. They were old enough. 

“Kol, what are you doing?” she whispered even though she already knew. Her hand went to her mouth hide her smile, but she didn’t think she managed to hide her blush. 

“I won’t be a blacksmith for another year, but when I am, I can support us. I'll be able to provide for you.” 

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. This was way less romantic than she had imagined her first proposal and yet all the more romantic for it. The waterfall roared in the background and she heard the birds chirping. It was a beautiful late summer day, probably the last they would see this year and the leaves were still green on the trees. 

In a way, it was all too perfect. 

“And I love you, Bonnie. Will you marry me?” 

Bonnie stood frozen for a second. She couldn’t marry him – vampire Kol would go nuts. And he wanted to go back to their time. All of these crazy thoughts and more raced through her mind, but then she remembered her plan. Remembered the sleeping potion and she grinned. 

“Yes!” 

Kol smiled the most breath taking smile she had ever seen from him because he looked happy. Happier than she had ever seen him or even vampire Kol. 

He got to his feet and pulled her into his arms. The kiss that followed was nothing like the earlier one. It was passionate and it had her moaning in his mouth. Her fingers twined into his hair and she clung to him for support. Heat coursed through her whole body and she felt like she might explode. 

She broke the kiss, gasping for breath and grinned. 

“I still have to talk to Ayanna and get her permission, but I wanted to ask you first,” Kol murmured against her lips. His voice was rough and his breath fanned her face, making her shiver and press herself into his warmth in answer. 

“She will say yes, I know she will.” 

Bonnie kissed him, it was a light playful peck on the lips. 

“I almost forgot. I have this for you.” 

Kol withdrew a ring from his pocket. She gasped. It was a gold ring with a delicate band. In the center there was an emerald stone. 

“It’s beautiful, I love it.” 

“I crafted it myself. I thought it would suit you.” 

Knowing Kol had made it specifically for her that only made it more special. Lovingly, Kol tucked a lock of her hair behind ear. 

“It is and I love you too.” 

Bonnie blushed realizing vampire Kol would have these memories. He would know she had fallen in love with his human self, which was exactly what he had warned her against. There would be hell to pay, but she didn’t care. She was too happy. 

Kol slid the ring onto her hand and she took a moment to appreciate it. The ring was stunning and the dark green tones of the jewel complimented her skin. Kol was right, it did suit her. 

“I’ll take you home and we can talk to Ayanna together.” 

“I’d like that.” 

The whole ride back to the village, Kol kept tossing smiles her way. When they crossed the threshold to Ayanna’s home, she knew there was a chance vampire Kol was present. 

“Ayanna! Kol and I are here!” Bonnie called out the second she was over the threshold. 

Hopefully, it would give Kol enough time to disappear. After all, he was a vampire they were fast. 

They found Ayanna in the kitchen. She was brewing tea and preparing dinner. Bonnie smiled when she realized she could breathe easy. If Kol’s vampire self had been present he was long gone. Of course, with his memories he might have realized they were coming here and had been gone for a while. 

“Hello,” Ayanna said pleasantly taking in their entwined hands. “What brings you by?” 

“I should ask Bonnie’s parents this, but they aren’t here so I was hoping to get your blessing instead.” 

Ayanna’s expression never faltered, not even for a second and Bonnie admired her composure. 

“Blessing?” 

“I want to marry Bonnie.” 

“Of course you have it!” Ayanna said her smile turning into a broad grin. “Sit down, this calls for a celebration. I think I have some -” 

“No thank you,” Kol said politely. “I am sorry, but I can’t stay. My parents are expecting us for dinner.” 

“They are?” Bonnie asked looking up at him in surprise. 

“Well mother is anyway,” Kol said with a rueful smile. “I would have told you sooner, but I wasn’t certain you would accept my proposal.” 

Bonnie smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’d love to go.” 

“And you’re invited too,” Kol said turning to Ayanna. “It’s a celebration of sorts.” 

“Sounds lovely,” Ayanna said beaming at them. “Well best not to keep them waiting then.” 

XXX 

When Bonnie arrived at the Mikaelson home with Kol and Ayanna it was not the peaceful scene she had hoped waited. Instead, it was Mikael shouting at Rebekah, Klaus and Henrik. 

“Where the hell were you all day?” 

“We told you father,” Rebekah said in a snotty tone of voice. 

Human Rebekah was less brazen and arrogant than her vampire counterpart. But sometimes like now, Bonnie saw glimpses of the person she would become. As with Henrik, she found it depressing. Rebekah was a sweet girl and a friend, it was hard to think of the unhappy and cold vampire she could become. Her friend didn’t deserve that. 

“By the falls, so I heard,” Mikael sneered. “AND WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?” 

“Here father,” Kol said stepping forward. When Bonnie and Ayanna moved to follow, he gestured for them to stay back. “What is the matter?” 

“WHY ARE YOUR SIBLINGS LYING TO ME?” Mikael bellowed. 

Bonnie winced. 

“They aren’t lying,” Kol replied in his usual careless manner. “We were by the falls.” 

“NEGLECTING YOUR DUTY!” 

Esther came running out of the house. She tried to approach Mikael, but Kol moved forward. He restrained his mother, holding her back. And Bonnie had the terribly feeling he was trying to keep her out of harm’s way. 

“We all had the day off work,” Klaus said. 

“DID I ASK FOR YOUR OPINION BOY?” 

Mikael strode forward, red in the face and shouting curse words at Klaus like a crazy person. He swung at Klaus, knocking him to the ground. At the sudden attack, all hell broke loose. Everyone was talking and screaming. Neighbors gathered out front, maybe to intervene or just to gawk at the family drama. 

Mikael towered over Klaus like a great big bully. Bonnie was about to put an end to it when Ayanna suddenly stood in front of Klaus, she had moved so fast Bonnie hadn’t seen her go. She held her head proud and she looked unafraid. 

Something about Ayanna must have forced Mikael to back down because he took a step back. Now rounding on Kol. 

“Why were you there?” he asked no less angry, but in a quieter voice. Somehow, making him all the scarier. 

Bonnie shuddered and she wanted to race to Kol’s side. But she was scared to get in the middle of things. Mikael’s blue eyes were hard and unyielding, everything about his posture to his facial expression radiated mercilessness. Kol stood taller than his father and looked down at him with undisguised disgust. 

“We went for a swim and afterwards I asked for Bonnie’s hand in marriage. She accepted,” Kol said somehow making himself appear even taller than he already looked next to Mikael. 

Mikael started to pace around the yard. His behavior was completely erratic and Bonnie felt certain they were dealing with a madman. He didn’t act like a sane person and the smallest of things seemed to push him over the edge. 

Before anyone could react, Mikael had a grip on Bonnie’s arm. He grabbed her and shoved her against the nearby wood shed. She stared up at him with defiance. She wasn’t one of his children and he couldn’t bully her. 

“Let go,” she said with a calmness that surprised even herself. 

“LET GO!” 

“TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER!” 

“FATHER!” 

The cries of his family fell on deaf ears. Bonnie scarcely heard them herself. All of her focus was on Mikael. She knew her eyes were hard and unflinching. She would not be cowed or bullied by this pitiful excuse of a man. 

Mikael's eyes widened in shock before narrowing into angry slits. He turned to look at Kol. 

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE WITCHES INTHIS FAMILY! WITCHES ARE WHORES, WHO BRING NOTHING BUT TROUBLE EVERYWHERE THEY GO!” 

Bonnie took advantage of his distraction, she pushed Mikael firmly in the chest and he tumbled backward. As fast as her attack was, Kol’s was faster. His father went flying and he hit the ground with a loud thump. The villagers gasp and Rebekah cried out. 

Mikael got to his feet. He stared Kol down and sneered. 

“Need magic to fight your battles, Kol? I didn’t raise you to be such a coward.” 

Kol waved his hand and Mikael went soaring through the air again. This time, he hit the wood shed and there was a loud crack. Bonnie flinched, sure Mikael had broken something. Kol didn’t even slow down, he stalked across the front yard until he came face to face with Mikael. 

He grabbed Mikael by the throat and raised him onto his feet. He withdrew the dagger at his hip and looked at his father in a way that chilled Bonnie to her very core. She knew that look. She had seen it on vampire Kol. He had worn that exact expression the night he tried to murder Matt. 

Could they really be the same person? But if that was true, how could Kol have lost all of his kindness and warmth? 

“If you as much as look at her wrong again, father I’ll kill you. And I won’t need magic to complete the deed,” Kol threatened, his voice a quiet whisper. “Am I making myself clear?” 

“You were always my favorite, Kol,” Mikael said with a harsh laugh. 

Kol slammed him against the wood shed and he groaned. “Am I making myself clear?” 

“Perfectly clear, as a man should,” Mikael grunted. 

Kol dropped him. Mikael slumped to the ground, but the only thing that appeared damaged was his ego. Still, Bonnie didn’t miss the sick look of pride on his face whenever he glanced at Kol. 

Realizing, human Kol probably wouldn’t be that strong, she cast out with her mind, checking for a vampire aura. Her magical scan came up clean. The only magic she sensed about Kol was his powers, which marked him as a warlock. With some amusement in spite of the crazy situation, she guessed blacksmith work had made him strong. 

Kol came toward her and his brow was knit together. “Are you alright?” he asked in a low voice. 

“I’m fine.” 

“That will never happen again.” 

“I’m fine,” Bonnie told him more firmly this time. “There is no reason to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” 

She had been for three years now. 

Kol cracked a smile. “I know that.” 

“Let’s have dinner, shall we?” Esther said with practiced calm. Her smile was forced and her eyes were wide, but otherwise, she appeared completely unruffled by tonight’s events. 

The neighbors went back to their homes. They murmured and gossiped as they went. Something about their calm attitude told Bonnie this wasn’t an uncommon scene in the village. 

XXX 

Kol thought he had at long last gone mad when Bonnie returned to the room that evening. She looked happy and he could have killed her for smiling like that. The little witch knew very well they weren’t going to stay here so what was her game? He had a sneaky suspicion he knew and that almost made him wish he didn’t. 

Bonnie froze in the doorway when she saw him. Then she sighed and washed her face. She kept her back to him. In the middle of splashing water on her face she spoke. 

“Whatever it is you want to say, don’t. Just spare me, okay?” 

“I don’t know precisely what you have planned, but make no mistake we aren’t staying here, little witch.” 

“I know that.” 

Now that was a blatant lie. Why hadn’t he noticed before? How the rhythm of her heart beat changed whenever he questioned her about this particular subject. 

Right, because he was as much a fool for Bonnie Bennett now as he was a thousand years ago. Well nearly, as a big a fool. He never would have professed to love her after a scant few weeks. Whether it was true or not. 

“I think you’re lying to me.” 

He stalked her, following her movements as she tried to avoid him in the confined space. She had long since abandoned the attempt to wash her face. Instead, she quickly toweled off and was now in the process of sidestepping him. He moved left, she went right and he followed her. 

Finally, she looked up at him. Her expression was pure defiance and exasperation. 

“What do you want Kol?” 

“I want the truth,” he growled. “What do you think you are playing at? And keep in mind, you are playing a very dangerous game.” 

“I want to stay here,” Bonnie crossed her arms. Her gaze didn’t once waver and she didn’t tremble in fear. 

And for once, Kol sensed no lie or hesitation to her words. 

“We are not staying here, I'm not ready to die just yet.” 

She rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t be dramatic. You wouldn’t die. And even if you did? So what? You’ve had a thousand years.” 

“Hardly. Nik frequently daggered me, I've missed nearly as many centuries as I have lived.” 

Bonnie’s expression was crushed. “And I'm sorry about that. But I could stay here with you,” she touched his cheek. “We could have a normal life.” 

“It’s not with me,” he growled. 

“Yes, it is. At least sort of,” she shrugged and let her hand fall away. “And isn’t that what you always wanted?” 

Kol cursed his past self. He had shared secret desires and dreams with Bonnie. All things so far away and foreign to him, he could scarcely recall them. 

“That was a long time ago, I want different things now.” 

“I get that, but you wanted it once and I want it too.” 

She ran her palm across her forehead like she was trying to think. Kol recognized the ring he had crafted her for. Even after a thousand years or however this time travel thing worked, he could recall the painstaking detail that went into it. The hours of labor, the goods he’d had to trade for that stone and the gold to make it. How his back had hurt and he had sweat like some kind of peasant all to make her smile. 

“What about your life back home?” Kol said hoping a change of tactics would change her mind. 

“What about it?” Bonnie was chewing on her lower lip now, but he couldn’t let that distract him. No matter how tempting that habit was. “My friends would be better off without vampires in their lives. And as for me? Well I just have my dad and he loves his work more than me so I know he will be alright.” 

Kol stared at her. 

How could Bonnie be so oblivious? How could she fail to see how special she was? When they got back home, he was going to torture her friends for allowing her to see herself this way. 

Kol growled when he realized Bonnie was still talking. Talking about the life they could have together. The normal ordinary life filled with work and hard labor until they keeled over. Well no, now she was talking about off-spring. 

What was it about humans and children? He certainly couldn’t recall why they were fascinating. 

“How do you plan to accomplish this plan for yours?” he demanded. 

“I’m not telling you, but it will save Henrik. Kol please, if you don’t do this for yourself, at least do it for Henrik.” 

“Suit yourself, but make no mistake, little witch we are going home.” 

He left, in a worse mood than he had been in since arriving here. His foul mood was worsened by one thing, Bonnie was right. He did need to save Henrik and he made up his mind to do that. He already had an idea. 

XXX 

One day before the full moon and Bonnie was sweating nervously. If she didn’t find a way into the Mikaelson home before tomorrow evening then all of her planning would be for nothing. It should have been easy enough to do, but Kol was dogging her every step. 

When he wasn’t right by her side, he was watching her from the distance. And he could enter the Mikaelson home at will, which meant Bonnie couldn’t be the one to deliver the sleeping potion. And it couldn’t be Kol or his future self would know what she was planning. It also couldn’t be one of his siblings, if they remembered they could try to contact them again, which could blow the whole thing. 

That only left her one option, Ayanna. 

Kol was out getting them or horses or stealing them more like. Ayanna had spelled the compass for him when Bonnie flat out refused. Ayanna had later told her there was no need to worry, their plan would succeed. 

Ayanna’s loyalty to her family was exactly what Bonnie was counting on as she walked into the kitchen. Ayanna poured her a cup of tea and sat down opposite of Bonnie.   
“What’s troubling you, child?” 

So like her Grams, Bonnie thought with wistful longing that soon turned to pain. 

“I need you to get the sleeping potion to Henrik or Klaus. Kol is watching me and I’m not sure I could get past to him if it came to a fight,” Bonnie said deciding to lay all of her cards bare. 

“Why not?” Ayanna’s brow wrinkled. “Surely a vampire can’t overpower a witch?” 

“Depends on the witch and the vampire,” Bonnie grimaced. “Look, last time Kol and I got into it, I almost died. So I was thinking, I distract him and you get the sleeping spell into their tea.” 

Ayanna looked out the window for a longtime. Her expression was contemplative and Bonnie got the sense she was far away. 

“Very well. I'll do it,” Ayanna said at last. 

“Thank you.” 

Bonnie put her hand on top of Ayanna’s on the table. Like always, that warm feeling that she was family came over her. 

“Think nothing of it. Now how will you distract, Kol?” 

“Leave that to me,” Bonnie said with a confidence she was far from felt. 

She wasn’t sure she would be successful, but she did have a plan and a plan B if everything went to hell. 

XXX 

The sun was just setting. Bonnie knew Ayanna was two minutes from slipping out the door. Bonnie gave her a nod and Ayanna’s answering gesture was a maternal glance. 

Knowing it was now or never, Bonnie went outside. She knew Kol had been tending to the horses. He had hidden them behind the house. He was convinced they would ride out tomorrow morning, but Bonnie had no intention of allowing that to happen. 

Kol was feeding an apple to a black stallion. There were two more horses with him. 

“You stole three horses? What for?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he returned with a crooked smile. “You’ve hardly spoken to me in months to what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“I thought you might want to...” Bonnie let her voice trail off. 

She tilted her head to the side, offering her neck. She saw the naked desire in Kol’s eyes. She had continued to bloodshare with him, but still keeping that same distance between them that she had since they kissed. She pushed him away when it was done and stayed as far out of his reach as possible when they slept. 

And from what she saw in his eyes now, he missed the intimacy. Craved her touch and the other things that had come with bloodsharing before she fully understood what they were doing. 

“My what a pleasure, are you perhaps trying to distract me?” 

Bonnie didn’t trust herself to answer. Instead, she walked closer to him. Hoping he would catch a whiff of the fragrance she wore. She had just taken a bath with jasmine and lily soap. Human Kol loved that fragrance and she assumed the same was still true of his vampire self. The way his eyes darkened further and fixed on her neck, proved it was. 

Kol grabbed her by the waist and closed the distance between them. She was held flush against and him. Heat flared up in her and she tried to remind herself, this wasn’t the Kol she loved. But she refused to let that thought take root. 

Instead, she pulled her hair aside and displayed her neck once again. Kol's fangs appeared and veins spread from underneath his eyes, which had turned pitch black. Once upon a time that face used to terrify her. Now it was no different than looking at his normal face. 

His lips ran along her pulse line teasingly. A shiver ran down her spine and she wrapped her fingers into his hair. She buried her face in the crook of his neck even as he prepared to bite her. 

“Do you still love me, Kol?” she whispered. Her fingers caressed his hair and the nape of his neck and she wondered if he had even heard her. A part of her hoped he hadn’t. 

“I’ve told you, we’re the same person,” he said in a rough voice. 

“That’s not an answer,” she murmured. 

Kol’s fangs nipped at the sensitive skin of her neck. She gasped and he gripped her tighter. His fangs pierced her skin for real this time and Bonnie lost herself in ecstasy. Heat coursed through her and she felt like she was floating. All that existed was her and Kol. 

Too soon – always too soon, he pulled away. He pressed his bloody wrist to her lips and she lapped up the blood. It tasted like copper or it used to. Now all she tasted was the power. Kol's blood was ancient and the magic that sustained him and all of vampires was one of the most powerful spells ever cast. Its effect spanned generations and entire continents, never tiring and always growing. 

When Bonnie came to her senses, she blinked and stared up at the dark night sky. Kol was holding her in his arms. 

When had it gotten dark out? 

Bonnie pushed Kol away and began to fuss with her appearance. She fixed her hair and straightened her dress. She made sure there was no blood on her neck. 

From the distance came the piercing sound of a wolf’s howl. Bonnie froze in her tracks, with wide eyes she turned to Kol. 

“What was that?” 

“One of the villagers. You know this,” he shrugged. 

“I need to make sure it worked,” she blurted. 

Bonnie ran and she didn’t need to look to know Kol was following her. She could sense his presence. These days she was so attuned to his energy, she could probably feel him a mile away. 

Since he was a vampire, Kol was in front of her almost as soon as she had taken off. She crashed into him and shoved him forcefully. 

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” 

“Make sure what worked?” Kol’s eyes were dark with fury and his posture was menacing. 

Still, she didn’t think he would actually hurt her. 

Bonnie sighed. There was no point in lying anymore, Ayanna had either succeeded or failed. 

“I had Ayanna slip Klaus and Henrik a sleeping potion so they couldn’t sneak out to watch the change.” 

“You did what?” it was a growl, she barely understood him. 

“You knew I was planning something so don’t act surprised!” Bonnie snapped at him. 

Kol was still staring daggers after her when she set out at a run again. But this time, he didn’t stop her. 

Bonnie arrived at the Mikaelsons’ out of breath and panting. From the kitchen window, she could see the fire in the fireplace and shadows from people talking. When she got closer, she heard raised voices. 

Not thinking, Bonnie rushed inside and to the kitchen. The sight that greeted her nearly knocked her to the floor. 

Ayanna’s was unconscious and bleeding from the back of her skull. Mikael was towering over Esther, who was huddling in the corner. Esther was crying and Mikael was shouting. 

“I KNEW IT! WITCHES!” Mikael roared. “THAT WHORE WAS TRYING TO POISON OUR CHILDREN!” 

“Please, Mikael. I’m sure it’s harmless, if only you’d allow me to examine the vial,” Esther sobbed. 

Finn, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol gathered in the doorway. Bonnie knew they must have come out of their bedrooms. She hurried to Kol, who met her halfway and pulled her into his arms. She wanted to lean into him and relax against his comforting warmth, but she knew there wasn’t time for this. 

Why weren't they doing anything? 

“What happened?” she asked. 

“I don’t know,” Kol said. “Nik and Henrik were ill so they went to their rooms only they’re not there any longer. Rebekah went to bring them dinner and then Mikael found some kind of potion. He sent us away and now this,” he gestured helplessly at the scene in front of him. 

“Elijah and I will take Ayanna to the medicine woman,” Finn said stepping forward. He looked like he had snapped out of a daze. “Kol, you stay here with Rebekah and Bonnie. Ensure this doesn’t get out of hand.” 

“I trust you can handle father,” Elijah said with an upward twist of his lips. 

Bonnie’s mind was racing. Klaus and Henrik were gone – that meant – oh no. 

“I have to go.” 

She didn’t wait for any of them to answer. Instead, she ran away. She ran and ran until her legs could barely support her and her lungs were screaming for oxygen. Still, she ran. 

The only thing going through Bonnie’s mind as she raced through the dark forest was that she had to make it to the cave. She needed to get there before the werewolves found them. She had to do something, anything. 

All around her was the sound of wolves, they were growing louder. She was getting closer. That was a good thing – at least that’s what she tried to tell herself as the knot in her stomach grew worse. Running towards werewolves was rarely a good idea in her experience. 

One second the wolves sounded far away, in the next, the howling sounded like it was right by her ear. She looked around, but saw nothing. 

Her foot caught on a root. She fell, scraped her knee and knocked the wind out her. Groaning and with her knees stinging, she got back to her feet. She picked up her skirts and started running again. She dodged trees, hopped over roots and rocks until her breath was coming in ragged pants and she was barely going faster than a walk. 

A black shape cut her off in the path. It ran right in front of her. She screamed and fell. She pulled herself back up again only to come face to face with the bared fangs of a werewolf. Its yellow eyes glowed in the dark. Slobber dripped from its fangs and it growled at her. 

Bonnie’s blood ran cold. She didn’t dare move, barely dared to breathe. But there no stopping her pained breathing, which was all too loud in the forest. 

Oh no, I've gone too far from the village, she thought panicked. But that was her entire plan. She wanted to scream, to swear and rage at the world. 

She had plans! She was supposed to marry Kol. They were going to have children and grow old together. Now she was going to get eaten by a werewolf and he would turn into a lonely, deranged vampire. 

Typical Bonnie Bennett luck. 

The werewolf still hadn’t moved, it was growling at her and coming closer slowly. Bonnie knew any second now it would pounce and she would be dead. 

She did the one thing she could think of and used her magic. It lashed out of her like a whip and the werewolf froze. It was paralyzed. 

Thank you Kol, she thought. She, Kol and Rebekah had worked on that spell every day last week and she had finally mastered it. 

Without giving it another thought, she was back on her feet and running toward the cave. She could still hear the werewolves howling, but she barely noticed them now. She was so close, just a few more minutes. 

A terrible cry broke through the night. A human cry – a boy. 

The noise spurred Bonnie on. 

The only thought that went through her mind was – no – no – no! 

No! 

It doesn’t end like this. Not now, not when she had a chance for happiness. Not when she had come so close to savign Henrik and sparing his siblings.   
The cries were growing steadily weaker and Bonnie reached the cave. She cast out with her magic, searching for any sign of Henrik or Klaus. At the same time, she was following the cries. Now that she was closer, she didn’t just hear Henrik’s screams, she heard growls from the werewolf and awful, squelching ripping noises that she was sure would haunt her nightmares for years to come. 

Wildly, Bonnie threw her magic at it and the wolf went flying. It hit the side of the cave. It landed on the ground with a sickening thud. 

Belatedly, Bonnie remembered it was a person twenty-seven days of the month. Quickly, she cast a non-verbal healing spell in the wolf’s general direction. 

Then she kept running. She landed on her knees by Henrik. He was partway concealed by a rock boulder. 

“HENRIK!” 

It was Klaus’s voice. Bonnie ignored him and fell to her knees at Henrik’s side. Frantically, she felt for a pulse. It was weak, but still there. 

Klaus came to a sudden stop by her. 

“Where were you?” she growled at him. 

The worst of Henrik’s bleeding seemed to stem from his abdomen. She put her hands on the wound and started to chant a Latin healing spell. It wasn’t very strong, but it was the best one she knew. Her and Kol hadn’t started to really practice healing spells yet. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

So many mistake flashed before her eyes as she worked to save Henrik’s life. Letting Ayanna do what Bonnie should have done, not learning healing spells. Not trying to talk Klaus and Henrik out of this stupid idea. Not confiding in Esther. 

Before Bonnie’s options had felt limited. Now they lay sprawled out in front of her. A thousand different paths she could have taken to avoid this moment. Tears threaten to spill and she wiped them away roughly with her sleeve. 

“Is he going to be alright?” Klaus asked dancing from one foot to another. The anxiety and the pain she saw on his face – she'd never seen Klaus look heartbroken. And she was sure his future self wasn’t capable of this kind of remorse. 

That was when it hit her, she had to save Klaus too. Save him from himself and his parents. 

“I think so, but we need to get him out of here and my magic is draining fast,” Bonnie panted. The blood flow was slowing. The wounds hadn’t healed completely, but she had taken care of the most urgent one. “Can you carry him?” 

“Of course.” 

Klaus knelt and picked Henrik up into his arms. Henrik hung there limply and the younger boy looked like a rag doll. 

“Good, follow me. And if any werewolves come our way, I’ll take care of them. You just keep running and get Henrik back to the village.” 

Klaus nodded. 

They set off at a fast jog. Klaus couldn’t go any faster, not with Henrik in his arms. It was probably just as well, who knew what damage was being done just from carrying him? Why hadn’t she paid better attention during first aid when she trained to be a lifeguard? Their only hope now was that Esther could save him. 

Suddenly, three werewolves surrounded them. A large grey one in the center, a brown one to the side and a perfectly snowy white one in the back. Klaus and Bonne huddled together. Bonnie's eyes kept roaming the growling wolves. 

“No sudden movements,” Klaus cautioned in a whisper. 

Bonnie nodded. 

There were too many of them, if she went after one, the others would attack. Their best chance was to hold this position for as long as possible. Then when one of them broke away to attack, she could fend it off. It would give Klaus a chance to escape with Henrik. It was a slim chance, but it was their only one. 

In a fast whisper, she explained the plan to Klaus. Even in the darkness, she could see how he paled. 

“I am not leaving you here!” 

Wow, he really was a different Klaus. 

“Do as I say!” Bonnie hissed back. “It’s Henrik’s only chance.” 

She had been sent here to kill the Mikaelson children before they became monsters. But she saw the error in Esther’s plan. She didn’t need to kill them, she needed to save them. Allow them to live the normal human lives they should have had all along. It was her mission and she was not going to fail even if it cost her, her life. 

One of the wolves advanced. It leaped through the air and soared at them. Bonnie threw up a magic shield, protecting herself. 

“RUN!” 

Klaus set off at a run. The wolf hit her shield and fell away. 

The remaining two wolves charged. A fast blur came out of nowhere and knocked one to the side and then the other. It was Kol. He came to a stop in front of her and flashed her a winning smile. 

“Are you trying to get yourself killed, little witch?” 

“Where have you been?” Bonnie demanded. 

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Klaus was long gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Pardon me, but I didn’t think you were foolish enough to run into the woods on a full moon. At least not with a pack of werewolves running loose.” 

“Shut up and take me to Klaus. We have the chance to save Henrik.” 

Kol looked pained. “I didn’t come to save them. I came for you.” 

“He’s your brother, Kol. Please.” 

“I came for you.” 

Bonnie turned to run, but for the second time that night, Kol caught her wrist and turned her around. 

“Why?” 

“Because you care enough to try to save me.” 

“Not you! Human you!” 

“How many times must I tell you we are the same person?” 

“Let go!” 

Bonnie yanked her arm free and ran after Klaus, she didn’t care if Kol came or not. 

Finding Klaus and Henrik turned out to be easy. She followed the sound of growling and screams. Klaus hadn’t gotten far. He was knocked to the ground with a wolf over him. Another was already tearing into Henrik’s neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dark figure of a man disappearing into the woods. 

Strange, but then there was blood. So much blood coming from Henrik and she forgot all about the figure. 

“NO!” Bonnie screamed. 

Her magic raced out of her, but it was too late. Even she knew that. Blood was pouring out of Henrik’s neck. 

Or what was left of his neck. She saw bone. She sobbed and fell to her knees. 

The wolf hit the ground, yelped and ran away. The one bent over Klaus saw its pack member flee and took off after it. Klaus injured and bleeding crawled toward Henrik. Bonnie wanted to look away as tears streamed down his face, but she couldn’t. It was like some horrible accident happening right in front of her and she couldn’t look away no matter how hard she tried, no matter how awful the sight. 

“No,” she whispered. 

Klaus looked over and it was as if he saw her for the first time. Then he picked Henrik up. He crawled the boy in his arms and cried freely. Bonnie sat transfixed, she didn’t move. Couldn't. 

Not even when she heard her name being called repeatedly did she respond. She felt rough hands on her shoulders, turning her around. 

“Kol?” she mumbled blinking up at him. 

Kol's face swam before her eyes. She wasn’t sure, which Kol it was. Trying to work it out was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone, who has stayed with this fic. The next chapter is the next one before they jump forward in time so they are getting closer to returning to Mystic Falls in their own time. As always let me know what you thought of this chapter. What about the action? The proposal and the ‘I love you’? What do we think about vampire Kol? Also are we loving Lucy and Rebekah as friends? Because in my head, they would totally hit it off. This is kind of important, I'm trying to work on changing POV, so do they feel jerky or anything like that? Let me know! 
> 
> If you want to request a drabble, I'm fireismyelement97 on tumblr so leave me an ask. 
> 
> Izzy


	10. Chapter 10

Bonnie woke because she heard crying and shouting. So many angry sounds that she couldn’t make out properly. She blinked or tried to her, eyelids felt too heavy just like her head. 

“Bonnie?” the female voice was choked. In her hazy confusion she couldn’t place it. 

Bonnie rubbed her eyes and forced them open. The room was dark except for two candles. Rebekah was sitting on the bed next to her. Her ordinarily neat blonde hair was disheveled her. Her face was puffy and her eyes were rimmed with red. 

“Rebekah? What's wrong?” 

Stupid question, Bonnie told herself. She knew what had happened if only she could remember. 

Rebekah stifled a sob. “Henrik.” 

“Henrik,” Bonnie echoed. 

In a flash the night’s events passed before Bonnie’s eyes. 

The sleeping potion. 

Ayanna was hurt – Mikael had hurt her, raged boiled through Bonnie at the thought. How dare he raise a hand to one of her relatives? 

Then she was running and there were werewolves. 

She and Klaus – they had come so close to save Henrik only to fail miserably. If Kol - if only Kol had tried to save him too. 

There was movement, in the next room, voices – calmer than earlier. Rebekah motioned for her to be quiet and Bonnie did as she asked, straining her ears to hear. 

“He snuck away from me,” Klaus said. 

She heard Esther curse. “He shouldn’t have been there and neither should you, Niklaus!” 

“I know!” Klaus’ voice was a pitiful wail. “He just wanted to see them transform and I thought we would be safe in the rocks, but he wanted to get closer and he was so fast, I lost him.” 

Klaus dissolved into tears. Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut. 

“Where is your father?” Bonnie asked quietly. 

“I don’t know,” Rebekah said looking miserable. 

“How did I get here?” 

When Rebekah turned to look at her again, her eyes were filled with sorrow. On instinct, Bonnie reached out and held her hand. 

“Kol says you must have passed out,” she shrugged. “You weren’t hurt, at least nothing more than a few cuts and bruises.” 

Bonnie checked under the blanket. She was wearing a white linen nightgown, it was rough-hewn and far too big for her. She checked her legs and saw they were all banged up from her trip through the woods, but someone must have bandaged them for her while she slept. It was first then she noticed her hands were covered in bandages as well. 

“Thank you, Bekah.” 

“We were too late,” again Rebekah shrugged and it was such a painfully helpless gesture it hurt Bonnie. 

“So was I,” she whispered. “But how did you -” she didn’t know how to finish her question so she just let it hang there. 

“We realized when you took off that Nik and Henrik must have done something stupid. We tried to catch up to you, but by the time Kol and I got past father you were already gone. We searched everywhere.” 

“You shouldn’t have done that. You could have been killed.” 

“You’re one to talk,” Rebekah snorted sounding almost like her old self for a moment. “Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you for trying to help my brothers.” 

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away. She kept her eyes firmly locked on the ceiling. 

“It was the least I could have done, I'm sorry I didn’t save Henrik.” 

“You tried and I'll forever be grateful to you for that.” 

XXX 

Rebekah sat quietly in the kitchen with Elijah and Klaus. Katherine was skulking around the house somewhere, no doubt trying to concoct a scheme. Lucy was making tea. She had no real idea what was wrong with them, but their glum expressions had the witch concerned. Lucy’s kindness reminded Rebekah of Bonnie. 

Rebekah was remembering how Bonnie tried to save Henrik. How she had gone into the woods after them on the night of a full moon. And Rebekah was still grateful to Bonnie. A thousand years later and she was as grateful to Bonnie as she had been the morning after the attack. 

“Why would she do that?” Rebekah whispered. “Why would she risk her life like that for Henrik?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Klaus said, but his voice lacked his usual arrogance. “If Henrik never died mother would never have turned us into what we are now.” 

Bonnie, Rebekah realized genuinely had been her friend. She had fought to keep them human even when she had been sent there to kill them, she had found another way. It was touching even if her efforts hadn’t mattered in the long run. 

“I am surprised Kol let her get so close,” Elijah said clearing his throat. 

“Maybe she put him out of commission?” Rebekah suggested lazily. 

She didn’t understand the inner workings of Kol’s mind. But she did know he was frequently distracted by a pretty girl. That was one thing Bonnie could have easily used to her advantage to get the drop on him. But Bonnie appeared to genuinely care for Kol’s past self. 

“Maybe, he has feelings for her,” Lucy remarked. She handed out mugs of tea and sat down. “Is my cousin alive?” 

“Of course, she is,” Rebekah said with an eye roll. “You Bennetts are difficult to kill. Apparently, not even werewolves can accomplish that.” 

“She saved my life,” Klaus said slowly. “Suppose I won’t have to murder her when she returns after all.” 

“Niklaus,” Elijah said, but he was tired. “That was never our intention.” 

“Speak for yourself, big brother however, since she saved me from getting my throat torn out by a werewolf, I suppose I can forgive her this once.” 

“Forgive her for what exactly?” Lucy demanded. “From where I'm sitting, Bonnie is as much a victim of your mother as you are.” 

“But why?” Rebekah repeated. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply kill us?” 

“Not necessarily with your psycho brother running around unchecked,” Lucy said. 

“Kol isn’t in the habit of murdering witches, lucky for your cousin,” Klaus said with an amused snort. 

“I do not believe Bonnie could bring herself to murder us when we were mortal,” Elijah said. “She has too much integrity for that.” 

“Do you remember how small Henrik was?” Rebekah said not listening to the others. She was lost in her memories. 

With these new memories about the night, she couldn’t remember what had happened before. Instead, she had new memories ones that made her grief feel fresh again after a thousand years. 

“I do,” Elijah said with a smile. 

“Well this is depressing,” Katherine announced. She sauntered into the room dressed for an evening out on the town. She flopped down on the chair next to Elijah and tugged on his tie. “What is all this depressing nonsense? I could hear you all even from my room.” 

“It’s none of your business,” Rebekah sneered. 

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Always so dramatic.” 

“We were simply discussing how peculiar it was that Bonnie attempted to save Henrik’s life,” Elijah explained. 

“Honestly,” Katherine huffed. “Isn’t it obvious?” 

When all she received were uncomprehending stares from the other three vampires, she rolled her eyes again. Katherine tossed her hair and exchanged knowing looks with Lucy. 

“It’s Bonnie,” Lucy said. “She isn’t a killer. She has spent the past three years protecting her friends according to Caroline. And let me tell you they are ungrateful.” 

“Obviously,” Rebekah said. “Otherwise they would sort out their own problems and leave her well enough alone. You would think two vampires wouldn’t require a witch to bail them out of every mess they create for themselves.” 

“Well the Salvatores have never been very smart,” Katherine said. Sighing, she studied her nails. “And poor little Bonnie, caught in the middle of it. Must be hard for her, caring for people the way she does.” 

“Would you get to the point?” Klaus growled. 

“My point is,” Katherine said with a sly smile. “Bonnie would do anything for the people she cares about except murder innocents.” 

“We are hardly innocents,” Rebekah said with a cold laugh. 

“You were once, we all were,” Katherine said and this was accompanied by a resentful look at Klaus. “Now Bonnie is in the past, she makes new friends, she gets attached. And she decides to protect Henrik because if she does then vampires are never created. She convinces herself she is helping everyone, your family, her friends here. Because the world is a better place without vampires and I for one, don’t blame her.” 

Rebekah studied Katherine for a moment. Did this girl miss her human life? Did she still grieve for the family Klaus slaughtered centuries ago? It was a possibility and Rebekah was surprised, she hadn’t thought Katherine capable of genuine emotion. 

“But how will she get home? The second vampire Kol is out of the equation she has to travel through time several times to get home,” Lucy said. “That’s a dangerous trip to take with someone watching your back, but alone, it’s deadly. I don’t know, I just don’t see Bonnie surviving in ye old days. Most kids today would be screwed.” 

Something occurred to Rebekah. “Who says she was planning to come back?” 

“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me,” Lucy muttered. “My cousin is planning on staying a thousand years into the past? With cholera and dysentery and no indoor plumbing?” 

“Kol did propose,” Rebekah said turning to Elijah. “She accepted. The last time I spoke to Bonnie before the full moon we were talking about sewing her wedding dress. She sounded genuine.” 

“Oh my God,” Lucy groaned. She threw herself face down on the table. She was tugging on her hair. “If my cousin gets back, I am going to kill her myself, what the hell is she thinking?” 

“That’s easy enough,” Katherine said. “She thinks she is being noble and she gets to keep her boyfriend the way he is or should I say, was?” 

“Survival wouldn’t have a been a problem,” Elijah said. “She had Ayanna and Kol looking out for her. As far as plans go, it is a fairly sound one. Even if it is rather self-sacrificing.” 

“How do we get them back?” Rebekah asked. 

“They’ll come on their own now,” Elijah said. “Kol isn’t going to murder Bonnie, not for protecting Henrik. I doubt he would agree with her, but he won’t hold it against her.” 

“There is something about that night that I never told you,” Klaus said looking thoughtful. “Kol was there. I thought I was hallucinating, I was injured and the pain -” he shook himself out of his daze and gave Katherine a nasty look. “Why are you still here?” 

“She is my guest, Niklaus,” Elijah said patiently. "And since she has proved helpful by providing us with Lucy’s help, I suggest you leave her alone. We have enough enemies for now without your eternal grudge against Katerina.” 

“And what did I do that was so wrong? I just wanted to live,” Katherine said, but no one answered her. 

In all honesty, Rebekah agreed with her. She didn’t like Katherine, but she could understand why she had done what she did. 

“Fine,” Klaus growled. “As I was saying, I saw Kol there.” 

“Kol? But he was with me,” Rebekah said. 

“No, that can’t be,” Elijah said. 

“Yes, it was,” Klaus said. “But Kol arrived much later with Bekah as you said,” he nodded to her. “So I thought I was hallucinating, but now? I think it was our Kol. He was trying to protect Henrik, but a wolf got him first.” 

“Are you telling me Kol is running around the past with no one to stop him except my cousin with a werewolf bite in him?” Lucy demanded sitting up straight. Her whole posture was tense. “Because those bites cause insanity. He'll slaughter the whole village before it kills him.” 

“A werewolf bite won’t kill him,” Klaus said with a look of exasperation. 

“It took Kol weeks to ride out the last bite,” Rebekah said. “He massacred people when he was out of his mind from the delusions before we found him. He even killed his friends.” 

“He needs your blood, Niklaus,” Elijah said. 

“I am aware, but as he is more than a thousand years in the past what do you suggest?” 

“Let’s hope he knows enough to get some from the soon to be vampire you,” Lucy muttered. 

XXX 

Bonnie found warlock Kol outside. He was sitting in the yard holding a sword. It was a wooden practice one like the one he used to teach her. She sat down next to him. 

“I am so sorry.” 

“As am I.” 

Kol’s eyes didn’t waver from the sword, but they were rimmed with red and his face was splotchy. He must have been crying at some point. 

“What’s that?” 

“It’s Henrik’s or it was. He was going to be brilliant. Easily the best swordsman in the family.” 

Bonnie put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. It was an awkward embrace with the height difference and sitting behind him, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

“He was a good kid. I'm going to miss him.” 

“His body is gone.” 

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” 

Bonnie sat up straight. 

Kol shook his head. “I’ve no idea. I went to see him and it was gone.” 

“Does your mother know?” 

“Yes, she’s as confused as I am. Keeps talking about a way to stop this from happening ever again.” 

Bonnie tensed, but it was too late. She had seen Esther in passing. She was grief-stricken and beyond reason. She had tried to change history and failed miserably, there was nothing left for Bonnie to do except go home. 

But she didn’t want to leave Kol. Not now when he looked like this. She just hoped she had a few days because she knew vampire Kol would want to leave before they transitioned. With five Original vampires and their heightened senses, his presence wouldn’t stay secret for long. 

“Where is your father?” 

“Took off. Probably went hunting, he’ll be back in a few days. Killing something usually calms him down.” 

Bonnie shuddered. 

“Bonnie?” Esther said coming out of the house. “You should go home now. Ayanna will need help with her injury.” 

“Of course,” Bonnie said then lowered her voice to talk to Kol. “Will you be alright?” 

“I’ll be fine.” 

Bonnie kissed him on the cheek. She hoped it wasn’t the last time she saw him alive. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too, little witch.” 

Bonnie refused to cry in front of Kol. She couldn’t tell him the situation was even more hopeless than he imagined. She wanted to, she desperately wanted to, but it was too late for that now. She wanted to stay with him. If he turned, she wanted to turn with him. They might not be married yet, but when she accepted his proposal she had meant it. But she had no idea how to explain any of this so she stayed silent. 

Instead, she stood up on stiff legs and walked back home. 

It wasn’t until she was safely inside of Ayanna’s house that she broke down in tears. Awful, noisy sobs that made her body convulse. She cried until she couldn’t breathe anymore then she just sat there gasping for breath and sobbing silently. 

Vampire Kol walked in and sat down next to her. He looked depressed and she couldn’t say she blamed him. He had just lost his brother for the second time. 

Then that thought made her angry because while she had been trying desperately to save Henrik’s life, he had only come to save hers. 

“How could you?” she asked wiping away the tears that were still falling. 

“How could I what?” 

“How could you just let Henrik die? You could have done something! Anything, but you didn’t even try.” 

“You think I stood by and watched as Henrik died?” Kol growled and there was a dark flash in his eyes. 

She recognized that look, it was dangerous. 

“Yes, I do,” she pressed on heedless of the danger. “You ruined everything!” 

She got to her feet and glared daggers at him. Kol rose to his feet as well and he was growling. 

“HE WAS MY BROTHER!” 

“AND HE WAS MY FRIEND! I WOULD HAVE DIED TO SAVE HIM! AND WHAT DID YOU DO?” 

“I GOT MYSELF BIT AND YOU BETTER HOPE NIK TURNS BEFORE THE BITE MAKES ME MURDEROUS!” 

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!” 

Bonnie stormed past him. Ayanna wasn’t back from the medicine woman’s home yet. Since, she had nothing else to do, she made breakfast. She made sure to make enough for the Mikaelson family as well. 

As she cooked she felt rage boiling up inside of her. Kol had lied to her. That was in a way worse than standing by idly. Instead of telling her the truth and admitting to sacrificing his own brother for power, he had lied about a werewolf bite. 

She chopped vegetables pouring all of her grief and rage into the process. Part of her was constantly wondering what to do next. She needed to get out here, the Mikaelsons would turn any day. But she didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave Kol behind. She also knew, he would never leave his family behind. Desperately, she wanted to stay with him no matter what happened. 

“Bonnie,” Kol said coming into the kitchen and he could barely look at her. “I’m sorry.” 

“You ruined everything,” she repeated. “Everything would have been fine if you had just helped me.” 

“I did try,” he snarled. “And I got myself injured in the process.” 

“I don’t believe you,” she said keeping her back to him. 

“As for Henrik, he isn’t dead.” 

“Shut up.” 

Bonnie started preparing everything to go. She kept her back firmly turned on Kol until she was sure he was gone. Then she exhaled and finished getting ready everything to go with her. 

With a feeling of dread growing inside of her, Bonnie started off toward the Mikaelson home. The closer she got, she started to realize that it wasn’t just because of what had happened. She was having one of her psychic feelings. Something was wrong and she hurried. 

Even as she approached the door to knock, some part of her knew she was too late. The door opened a crack and Esther came outside. 

“Bonnie -” the older woman said startled and her eyes kept darting around. “What are you doing here?” 

Bonnie could feel the magic in the air. 

“I came to -” she stopped short. “What are you doing?” 

“Casting a spell.” 

“What kind of spell? Esther what are you doing?” Bonnie demanded as her sense of urgency grew stronger. 

“I doubt you’ve heard of it.” 

Esther tried to slip back inside and Bonnie shoved the door shut on her. 

“Try me.” 

“I have to protect my children,” Esther said tearing up. 

Fury and grief welled up in Bonnie. 

“You are killing them!” 

Esther’s expression hardened. “You are too late.” 

“This won’t end well, you will regret this.” 

“How do -” 

“Trust me, you will come to regret this,” Bonnie said viciously. “And me? I'll regret this for the rest of my life because I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” 

“You’re psychic, Kol told me about that,” Esther nodded as if confirming something to herself. “And I will never regret protecting my children because I cannot lose anymore.” 

“You will, you will lose all of them this way.” 

“In time, you will see I did what was best for my family,” Esther said with her chin held high. 

“Then turn me too. Because I want to stay with him.” 

“I can’t do that, Bonnie. I'm so sorry, but the spell is complete. When they wake, they will be immortal.” 

Bonnie left and feeling broken, she wandered aimlessly. She had no idea where she was until she sunk into a heap and started to cry for the second time that day. 

XXX 

Kol was leaving Ayanna. She was still with the medicine woman, but he had snuck in when the woman was preoccupied. He had warned her what was to come and how to stay safe. He was on his way back to Ayanna’s home, going through the woods so as not to be seen when he heard a woman crying. 

He would never have gone toward that woman, but he knew it was Bonnie. He recognized those same cries from earlier. He found her not far from his old family home. She was on the ground sobbing. He hesitated, not sure if she would welcome his company. 

Just as he was thinking about leaving, she let out a heart wrenching wail that he could not ignore. That was why he did something that went against every instinct he had. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. 

Bonnie gasped in surprise. She gave another sob and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her onto his lap and tucked her head underneath his chin. She cried for what seemed like an eternity before she finally stopped. 

“What’s wrong, little witch?” he murmured at last. 

He could feel himself starting to get worn out. Ordinarily, vampires didn’t experience physical fatigue unless they were well past hungry. But it was the werewolf bite. In a few short days, he would hallucinate and start massacring people. 

He really needed some of Nik’s hybrid blood. Otherwise, Bonnie would be in danger along with everyone else here. Ordinarily that was also not something he would care about except it put Bonnie in danger and it could disrupt the timeline. If him and siblings hadn’t turned, he could end up killing their past selves when he was out of his mind. 

He could handle disappearing from existence, but he couldn’t take it if anything happened to Bonnie. He recalled the memory of his proposal to Bonnie. How he had told her he loved her and how she returned those feelings. 

He felt an acute pang thinking she loved a version of him that was long dead. Whereas he was stuck in love with her. For a brief moment of insanity, he considered telling her, he still loved her. The mad impulse vanished and he assumed it was the werewolf bite beginning to take effect. 

XXX 

Bonnie couldn’t believe she had cried her eyes out to vampire Kol of all people. She dried her eyes and sat up. She accidentally, elbowed him in the stomach. He groaned and covered the spot with his hand. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Instantly, she started grabbing at his stomach. 

“It’s nothing,” Kol growled. 

He grabbed her wrists and held them away from his stomach. His dark eyes were unflinching, but by now, she knew Kol well enough to know when he was hiding something from her. 

“You’re lying. Tell me the truth or so help me, we are going to have a witch versus vampire smackdown, right now.” 

Kol’s jaw clenched. He looked over her head for a long time before giving in. He raised his shirt up and she gasped. There was an ugly bite on his stomach. It was red and there were infected veins surrounding that bite. 

“Oh my God, is that a werewolf bite?” 

Kol nodded, still not looking at her. 

She covered her hands with her mouth. ”How - when – how did you get this?” she whispered. 

“After you ran away from me in the woods, I tried to save Henrik, but I was injured.” 

Bonnie put her face in her hands, willing the tears back. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Grateful that he had tried to save Henrik. Kol grunted when she accidentally brushed up against the bite. 

“I am so sorry I didn’t believe you,” she whispered. 

“It’s alright. You were distraught.” 

“Oh my God, what do we do?” 

“I need Nik’s blood. His hybrid blood, nothing else will do the trick.” 

Bonnie choked back a sob and blinked back the tears. This was horrible. 

How had things gone so wrong? 

The werewolf bite wouldn’t kill Kol, but she knew from experience how difficult it was to contain vampires, who were crazy from bites. It would be ten times harder to restrain an Original. But there was a chance that could all be avoided. 

“That’s easy enough. You are transitioning now.” 

“Now?” Kol was shocked. “I don’t recall the transition being so soon after Henrik’s death.” 

“Yeah,” Bonnie was now the one to look away. She got to her feet and asked the question she had been burning to ask. “Will he – you still be you? Just for a few days.” 

Kol’s expression was carefully closed, she couldn’t read it. 

“No. You know what new vampires are like.” 

“Yeah, I do, but I hoped since you were the first vampires – maybe things were different.” 

“They were, they were far worse. We had no idea what was happening to us and the bloodlust was uncontrollable.” 

“Oh, I should have known,” she wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill. “We need to get some of Klaus’ blood.” 

“And then, little witch, we need to leave, tonight.” 

“Tonight?” 

“Tonight,” he nodded. “Things are going to get dangerous around here.” 

“Alright, I'll pack.” 

She twisted the engagement ring. Her Kol was dead and he was never coming back. No matter how desperately she wanted him to. And along with him, the life they could have had together was gone. For a few brief weeks, she’d had everything she dreamed of. 

“Good, I'll steal us some horses. We leave as soon as it’s dark.” 

Bonnie looked up at the sky. It was starting to darken. 

Where had the day gone? 

She felt an infinite sadness at the thought of leaving everywhere thing she could have had here, in the past. 

“I take it we will follow the compass to the next nexus.” 

“Unless you feel like waiting here for the next, say a thousand years,” Kol replied with a wry twist of his lips. 

“No, we should go,” she agreed. “Oh, and Henrik’s body is missing. You know where he is, don’t you?”   
“Run along, little witch. I'll meet you shortly.” 

That wasn’t an answer and Bonnie had the feeling, she wouldn’t like what Kol had done so she dropped it. 

XXX 

Kol crept up on his family home. He went through the back and sped into Nik’s room. He knew at this speed none of his relatives would see him. And the only one, who could have sensed him was himself. If memory served, if he would be passed out for another couple of days. His magic had been the strongest and Esther assumed that was why his transition took the longest. He still recalled waking up, unable to sense nature and feeling entirely alone. Now, the loss of Bonnie would be added to that pain. 

Nik was out cold on his bed. Kol took out his knife, slit Nik’s wrist. He let a few drops fall into his mouth. He pulled up his shirt and checked his bite. It was already healing. 

Kol smelled Tatia’s blood in the air. He snuck into the room where her body was lying. He stored some of her blood in a vial. Doppelganger blood could be useful in a number of ways and he would be foolish to leave it here. 

Then he stroked her face and apologized to her. It was a pity Tatia had to die for this. 

Tatia lay on the floor, her eyes were closed and if not for the bloody wounds on her wrists, she could have been sleeping. He had always liked Tatia, but Esther hated her. Hated how she toyed with Elijah and Klaus, playing them off each other. Still, to kill her for it, it felt excessive. Small wonder, they had become killers when their witch mother was capable of sacrificing a girl they had grown up with. 

Kol disappeared in a blur. He ran at vampire speed back to the cave where Henrik was. His younger brother, woke eyes fluttering open. He clutched his head. 

“Oh, Kol what happened?” Henrik groaned. He blinked and looked around the cave confused. “Where’s Nik?” 

“It’s a long story.” 

Kol found himself explaining everything to Henrik, including the time travel. He wasn’t sure how much of it, Henrik actually caught. He kept running around the cave, zooming around and trying out his vampire speed. He was unable to stop doing things like lifting boulders. He raised a huge one over his head. 

“Woah, check this out, Kol!” 

“Yes, yes, you are stronger than everyone now,” Kol said with an eye roll. 

He had slipped Henrik some of his vampire blood the day of the full moon. He had planned it perfectly. He had no intentions of losing Henrik twice. Bonnie’s intervention had failed to make him see why it was so important they remain human, but she had made him realize one thing. He couldn’t allow Henrik to die twice. He was his big brother and it was his job to protect him. A job, Kol had taken so seriously he had even foolishly attempted to save Henrik’s mortal life. 

“This is amazing,” Henrik whooped. “How are you not freaking out?” 

Kol rolled his eyes. “Come along, Henrik. We must find you someone to eat.” 

Henrik paled and shook his head. 

“Sorry, there is nothing to be done about it, little brother.” 

Kol kept pace with Henrik as the younger boy vampire ran to the village. He was still excited and Kol kept a close watch on him. Baby vampires were impulse, they often ran away and bit the first person they saw. 

Ordinarily, he allowed his newly turned vampires to rampage, until they learned control on their own, but there were things at stake. He only hoped they could make it out of the village unseen and Henrik did not turn into one of those dreadful Mary Sue vampires. 

Kol led Henrik to a house on the outskirts of the village. One of the young daughters was picking herbs in the garden. He ordered Henrik to stay hidden among the trees. Then he ran so fast he was invisible through the garden, snatched her up and carried her back to Henrik. 

Kol couldn’t remember the girl’s name, but he knew his brother fancied her. He had a vague recollection of Henrik staring at her and telling Kol how beautiful she was. 

“Red?” Henrik said staring. 

But Kol knew this was not the ordinary reaction from a teenage boy. Henrik's eyes were fixed on her pulse line and his vampire face began to emerge. As was common with new vampires, his little brother had no idea what was happening. 

Kol compelled the girl not to scream and to hold still. Not that it looked to him as if it was necessary. She was about two seconds away from fainting. 

Henrik tore into her throat and Kol stepped back. He only intervened when Henrik was about to kill her. He threw his brother into a tree and when he flashed fang at him, Kol roared. Henrik backed down quickly. 

Afterwards, he healed the girl, compelled her to forget and stole some horses before he went back to Ayanna’s. He ordered Henrik to stay out of sight among the trees until he brought Bonnie back. Henrik appeared to be in shock from what he had done, but Kol knew he would adjust in time. Henrik was strong. 

Ayanna was waiting for him outside of her house. 

“You -” she pointed at him firmly. “You had best take good care of my descendant because I will be watching from the Other Side and if you don’t, I will find a way to put you in the ground.” 

Kol’s first instinct was to be annoyed, but he let it slide because it was Ayanna. 

“I will.” 

“I will hold you to that.” 

Kol expected nothing else. 

XXX 

Bonnie packed in a hurry. Tears were spilling and she put everything she owned into a bag. It wasn’t much. She only had a couple of dresses. Then she looked around the room and refused to allow herself to think of everything that might have been. 

On her way out, she ran into Ayanna in the kitchen. Bonnie smiled and wiped away the tears. She had planned to leave Ayanna a note, thanking her for everything, but she was happy it hadn’t come to that. 

There were no words, she threw her arms around Ayanna. The older woman hugged her back. 

“Thank you for everything.” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, honey. I wish I could have done more.”   
“Me too.” 

Ayanna patted her cheek. “Kol is outside. You should go.” 

Bonnie looked over her shoulder and tears welled up in her eyes when she caught her last glimpse of Ayanna. Coming here and meeting Ayanna and the Mikaelsons had changed Bonnie’s entire perspective on her magic. It wasn’t a tool. It was a gift and she needed to use it wisely to balance nature. And that was a lesson, Bonnie would always be grateful for. 

Kol was out behind the house, hovering just on the edge of the woods. He had three horses with him. 

“Greetings, little witch.” 

“Why do we have three horses?” Bonnie asked even though she suspected she already knew. 

“You can come out now,” Kol said. 

Bonnie faltered when Henrik stepped out from the darkness. He was pale and his eyes were black. 

“Is he?” 

“A vampire,” Kol agreed. “I gave him some of my blood as a safety.” 

“INSTEAD OF SAVING HIM?”   
“I told you, my rescue mission went awry.” 

“He tried Bonnie,” Henrik said. “I woke up just in time to see Kol attacked by the werewolf.” 

“And then I had to get out of there before Nik saw me.” 

Bonnie sighed in defeat. That would have been difficult to explain away especially since all of the Mikaelsons drank vervain tea regularly. 

“Henrik,” Bonnie said the shock finally starting to wear off. 

There he was with his floppy dark hair and goofy smile. Without thinking Bonnie ran to him to hug him. In the past few months Henrik had become like a little brother to her, but Kol caught her elbow and pulled her to him. She stared up at him, hurt and angry. Why had he stopped her? 

“Don’t hug the baby vampire, little witch. They bite.” 

“Oh,” she sagged against Kol. 

Bonnie started to cry. She couldn’t help herself, Henrik was here, but he was a vampire. She couldn’t even hug him anymore, maybe not for a long time. Stefan still hadn’t learned full control after over a centuries whereas Caroline had learned it in a matter of weeks. 

Who knew how long it would be before Henrik learned control? 

“We have to go,” Kol said in a gentle murmur. 

“I don’t want to,” she said between sobs. 

“Can you handle the second horse?” Kol asked Henrik. 

“Sure.” 

Kol picked her up and put her on the horse. He got on behind her. She kept crying and he wrapped his arms around her waist, he took up the reigns and set off at a slow trot. 

His arms tightened around her and he made soft shushing noises. His lips brushed her hair and all she could think about was the life she had lost with her Kol. The warlock she cast spells with, who playfully kissed her and wanted to wait until marriage. 

The best and worst part was the truth she had been forced to face today. This version of Kol was still her Kol. He wasn’t gone, not really, just the part that made him like her. And worst still, was the truth she had come to realize about herself. If Esther had given her the choice, she would have chosen to turn with him. To walk the earth with him for an eternity even if it made her a monster. 

“I want to stay,” Bonnie repeated. 

“So I've gathered.” 

Bonnie tilted her head to the side so she could see him. “Let me go back. I'll beg Esther to turn me as well. I know she said it was too late, but there has to be a way.” 

Kol's mouth popped open. She didn’t think he could still be surprised, not after a thousand years, but she was wrong. 

“What about stopping us from turning?” 

“It doesn’t matter, not anymore. I failed. But he proposed and I - I don’t want to leave him alone.” 

Kol rolled his eyes. “I can assure you, I will survive. And I doubt you would have liked me during my early years.” 

“Kol.” 

He kissed the back of her head and put his head on her shoulder. She was impressed by how easily he rode. He barely seemed to pay attention as if riding came perfectly natural to him. 

Bonnie didn’t want to leave Kol all alone for a thousand years. Unlike this Kol he loved her. He would look for her, she knew he would and when he didn’t find her, he would think she had left him. She had to blink back fresh tears at that thought. 

Poor Kol, her brave Kol, who had attacked his own father to protect her, would think she had abandoned him. 

“What good would come of that, little witch? You are young and you don’t want to lose your powers, I know you don’t.” 

“But I don’t want to lose him -” that wasn’t right she could tell by the way he tensed. “You either.” 

“I’m still here, but it’s better for everyone if we change as little as possible. Who knows what chaos our presence has already caused?” 

“Still,” she sighed. “Just this once, doing the right thing was also doing the selfish thing so of course everything went wrong.” 

XXX 

Kol was relieved when Bonnie finally stopped crying. However, every now and then she would sigh or sniffle, and his heart would break all over again. When she wasn’t sniffling, she was staring vacantly at the forest landscape that passed them by. 

He supposed she was grieving the death of his warlock self as much as the life they were meant to have together. He understood that, he had memories of their plans. They had discussed them at length. Where they would live, how he would support them and even children’s names. Of course, Bonnie was distraught. 

The poor girl had allowed herself to believe the dream would become reality even when she should have known better. Kol wanted to fault her for it, but he couldn’t. She was young, only seventeen and he had certainly been plenty foolish at that age. 

Kol’s head felt as if it was splitting open and he grit his teeth. He did not want to alert Bonnie to his suffering, his latest memory would only upset her after she had calmed down. 

His past self had woken up and naturally his first thought was Bonnie, he needed to get to Bonnie. In his mind’s eye, he saw his quick arrival outside of Ayanna’s. Ayanna had let him in and he had run to the room, he knew she was staying in. 

His past self had torn through the guest room. The only sign he found of Bonnie had been her lingering scent and the drawing Nik had made of them that day at the falls. Kol shook off the memories of her past self. He didn’t need to see the memory to know it would end in him going on a bender, eating everyone in sight. 

All because he believed Bonnie had abandoned him. His past self believed she left the drawing behind because she didn’t love him any longer. Kol had no idea why she had left it, but he knew that wasn’t the case. 

Yes, it would seem his loss of Bonnie would turn him into even more of a monster. No surprise there. 

XXX 

The past few days, Bonnie had travelled with Kol and Henrik headed north. They were following the compass to the next nexus. Henrik was still in the midst of those insane mood swings newly turned vampires experienced. The days were getting colder and Bonnie was in a strange holding pattern with Kol. 

“I’m hungry,” Henrik complained. 

Bonnie was building a fire. The others didn’t need to eat actual food, but she did. Kol had caught and skinned a rabbit. With some herbs they picked along the way it would be a decent meal. One thing was for sure with a vampire to do her hunting for her, they were never short on game. 

“There’s a deer nearby, I'm sure,” Kol drawled. 

He was in the process of washing off in the stream they were camped out beside. 

Bonnie didn’t dare look up from the fire. She could feel Henrik’s eyes on her neck and she was determined to ignore him just as she was purposely staying calm so that her heartrate wouldn’t be too tantalizing. Henrik had already had a few near misses attacking her, she’d been forced to use her magic on him. Other times, Kol had restrained him. Each time was heartbreaking. 

“I’m sick of deer, they taste weird. Not Red though, she tasted amazing,” Henrik sighed. His eyes were closed. 

Bonnie felt sick. This was not the first time, Henrik had complained about the animal diet Kol was keeping him on. She looked at Henrik and saw he was exactly the same boy he had been before the full moon. At least on the outside, but on the inside he was a whole other creature. 

“If you as much as look at Bonnie, I’ll snap your neck,” Kol growled. 

In a flash, Kol was beside her instead of at the creek. 

“He won’t,” Bonnie said with a tentative smile at Henrik. “We’re friends,” Henrik was still staring at her neck in a way she didn’t like. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t set him on fire. Again,” she muttered the last part under her breath. 

Henrik crossed his arms, but went back to staring at the tree line instead of her. 

“It’s not fair. You feed from her.” 

Bonnie tensed. 

“What would you know about that?” Kol demanded his voice quietly angry. 

And that was always much scarier Bonnie thought. 

“I smelled her blood last night after you thought I was asleep.” 

“It’s not that simple,” Bonnie mumbled reddening. 

“Why not?” Henrik said petulantly. 

“It’s different,” Kol said darkly. “And you will leave it alone.” 

“Fine, I’ll go kill a deer.” 

Henrik disappeared in a blur. Bonnie sighed in relief. She was still too hot and embarrassed. She didn’t want Henrik to understand the difference in what they did. As much as she tried to distance herself from Kol during bloodsharing, there was no denying there was an intimacy to the act. One that had been there from the beginning whether or not she liked it. Probably a direct result of their mutual attraction. 

“Shouldn’t he have calmed down by now?” she glanced at Kol. 

“Yes and no, depends on the vampire.” 

Kol was staring after Henrik with a dark expression. One that made her think, he might be hiding something. But she rubbed the sides of her temples and decided she had enough troubles without worrying about Henrik. 

Such as the way the trees were changing colors. The green was fading and they were starting to turn brown. She looked at the cave they were camping in and the small bag of supplies they had. The vampires would no doubt survive the winter and cold without much trouble, but her? That was another story. The Virginia winters were harsh and she had a vague recollection from history class about the winter the first Brits came over. They had barely survived, wouldn’t have without the help of the Natives. 

“What do we do if we don’t reach the next nexus by winter?” 

Kol thought about that for a moment. 

“From what I remember from the grimoires, it’s not nearby,” Kol said slowly. “We might have to stay with a nearby tribe. I don’t like the idea of wandering the wilderness with you in winter.” 

“Yeah, I need actual food.” 

“And the temperatures, you’ll need proper clothing and shelter,” he agreed. “I think there is a spell we can cast to ascertain the time of the nexus being at full power. But we’ll need to use the stars to guide us.” 

“How?” 

“Through blood magic. I can’t help with the actual casting, but I can walk you through the spell.” 

Bonnie didn’t have much experience with blood magic, but she had studied it a little with Ayanna. They hadn’t reached the part of the lesson where she actually tried it before everything went to hell. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” she demanded. 

This was another way to get them home. And Kol had kept this key piece of information from her. It made her distrustful of him and it stung. She didn’t want it to, but it did. There was a version of Kol that she loved and he might be gone, but Kol was still here. That made her want to trust him. To believe a part of him still cared about her the way he once had. 

“Because you were plotting against me.” 

Kol’s eyes were dark. His expression was unreadable and she knew that meant he was telling her the cold hard truth. 

“I wasn’t plotting against you. I wanted us to have a real future.” 

“That isn’t me, not anymore however, that’s all irrelevant now.” 

“How far away is this village?” 

“Not far. There was a large population of natives in this era, little witch. Tens of thousands,” he cracked a smile. 

“Okay,” Bonnie nodded. “But blood magic relating to the stars,” she said slowly. “I’m guessing that needs to be cast at night.” 

“Under the stars,” he smiled another smile that made her stomach do a flip. “Fantastic isn’t it when magic is so literal?” 

“It’s the best,” she rolled her eyes. “This spell will probably be complicated so I'm going to get some sleep.” 

“I’ll join you.” 

Bonnie groaned and walked away. She went inside the cave they were using for shelter. It was cool and damp inside of it. She lay down on the animal skins and covered herself. At least, Kol had picked up something to keep her warm when they fled Mystic Falls. 

She closed her eyes and felt her body start to unwind. What little peace she had managed to find quickly disappeared as flashes of the life she could have played through her mind’s eye. Tears prickled behind her eyes and she wiped them away. She would not spend another day crying herself to sleep and longing for what could have been. 

The Mikaelsons had been her friends. And Kol – he had been the best of them all. He had been brave, strong and kind. He was still strong and brave, but his kindness had disappeared along with his humanity. Gone was the warlock she had spent hours casting spells with. 

Kol had been the first person since her Grams, who understood her magic. There had been Luka, but he had vanished all too soon and Abby, who hated what she was. Then there was Kol. He had taught her magic was a gift, it was valuable and it was a part of her. It was meant to be used for good, but it was not a tool. Not something to be thrown around to solve everyone’s problems and neither was she. 

He had no idea the path he had saved her from. Back in her time, she had started to develop a martyr complex. She was willing to die for her friends and she supposed it was still there to an extent. But now, she wasn’t willing to fight for individual lives rather for the balance in nature. That same balance vampires upended. 

At least that had been her goal before. Now, she was lost and she had no idea what she was meant to do with herself and her magic. So she worked towards going home with Kol because there was nothing else left for her. 

Kol lay down next to her and she kept her back to him. She felt his hand out reach to her and she let him intertwine their fingers. It wasn’t the same, it would never be the same, but the only thing that kept her going these days was the knowledge that Kol was not entirely lost to her. 

His fingers brushed the ring on her finger and she felt electricity spark through her. She sighed, closing her eyes and imagining her Kol. His touch and the way he had made her feel. How he used to give her a touch of magic when he caressed her. How that electricity had quickened her pulse and made her blood sing. It was a rush. 

“You still wear it.” 

It wasn’t a question. His voice wasn’t judgmental or gloating. It was curious. 

“I do,” she whispered. “You or well other you made it for me.” 

Kol snorted. “That was me. I’ve changed over the years, but we are not two separate people. Don’t tell me you still believe I am sort of evil double.” 

“No, I guess I don’t.” 

Kol laced their fingers together and squeezed her hand. A tingle of warmth spread from where he touched her to the rest of her. The roughness of his palm was familiar and she knew in a way she had not allowed herself to know before, he was still the same Kol. Different in the ways a person changed after becoming a vampire, after a thousand of time, but still Kol. 

But things were different between them now. She knew this Kol wanted her, but he didn’t love her like his past self did. And she was still in love with him. In spite of everything, she still loved him. She would have turned to stay with him, but that option had not been given to her. And now the version of him she had fallen in love with was lost to her forever. 

Trying to protect her heart, she took her hand back. 

XXX 

Later that night, Henrik was back. Bonnie sat by the fire with Kol. They didn’t need anything for this spell other than the flames, the night sky and her blood. 

She picked up a knife and stared at the blade tentatively. It was long and broad, sharp. She knew one pinprick with it would be more than enough to draw blood. She knew that because it had been forged by Kol’s human self. It was his ceremonial blade, he used it in castings and he had lent it to her. She never got the chance to return it. 

She took a deep breath and slashed open the palm of her hand. No matter, how many times she had done this for spells, it never got easier. The pain was sharp and she gasped. She clenched her fist tightly and allowed the blood to drip into the fire. It hissed and cracked. 

Bonnie closed her eyes and summoned her magic. She chanted in Latin. She kept going through the first verse and she could feel the wind surrounding her as it picked up. Her magic roared to life, a living breathing entity. 

Upon entering the second verse, she raised her eyes and palms to the sky. She chanted louder now, shouting to compete with the howling wind. The skies were glowing more brightly and moving. 

When she reached the third verse the flames roared to life. They exploded and settled into the night sky. The flames fell into formation with the stars. 

After the third verse, she ended the spell. She fell forward, catching herself with her palms. She was breathing hard. 

“Cool,” Henrik said with awe in his voice. 

Bonnie looked to Kol. “Did you get what you needed?” 

The spell casting might have landed on her, but it was Kol, who knew how to read the stars. When he had been a warlock, he had been proficient in blood magic. 

“Yes, the midwinter solstice,” Kol said his face breaking into a grin. “Three months from now.” 

Bonnie took out the compass. It still pointed north. 

“We have to go north.” 

“We’ll need supplies and better clothing for you,” Kol said frowning. “I don’t like this however, if it comes down to it, I'll turn you rather than allow you to die.” 

Bonnie felt something flicker inside of her. If she turned, she could track down her version of Kol. She could tell him, she hadn’t abandoned him. But as a witch this territory was dangerous and she was reliant on others for survival. It was how humans had always survived. 

“We’ll deal with it if it comes to that.” 

Kol eyed her suspiciously. “You aren’t running back to him. Vampire or not. We have already disrupted the timeline enough.” 

“And why not?” 

“Because Nik will murder you or dagger me to keep us apart. Why do you think Finn hasn’t seen his girlfriend in nine hundred years?” 

“Nine hundred years?” Bonnie stared at him. “He’s been in a coffin for nine hundred years? Where is his girlfriend?” 

“Travelling, last I ran into her, she was still waiting for him. She was lucky to have escaped with her life. I won’t have you and I in the same predicament, little witch.” 

Bonnie took all of that in. It was a lot and no wonder Klaus had thrown a monkey wrench in Rebekah and Stefan’s romance. Klaus was obviously a control freak, who wanted his siblings all to himself. Even if it meant they spent eternity in a coffin. 

“So what you’re saying is Klaus was even crazier back when you first turned?” 

“Hard to believe, I know,” Kol chuckled. “We are going back to our own time. End of discussion.” 

“Fine,” Bonnie crossed her arms. 

“And Henrik you are coming with us.” 

The younger boy shook his head. “No, I don’t want to become a monster. I already feel myself turning into one. I can smell Bonnie’s blood and all I want to do is tear into her throat. She's my friend and I would kill her without blinking if I let myself.” 

Bonnie shivered, but she readied her magic just the same. 

“That means you are gaining control, that’s a good thing, right?” Bonnie said glancing at Kol for confirmation. 

“It does,” Kol said slowly. “Don’t worry, little brother once we are among people, you can feed to your hearts delight. I'd to see you end up as one of those Mary Sue vampires.” 

“No,” Henrik said firmly. “I’ve given this a lot of thought and I want you to kill me.” 

“No,” Bonnie gasped. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“If you don’t, I'll just end up like the rest of you. Bloodthirsty killers and I don’t want that.” 

“There are other ways,” Bonnie argued. “I know a lot of vampires back in our time and a lot of them are good. One of my best friends is a vampire and she doesn’t hurt anyone. She protects people.” 

Thinking of Caroline was good incentive to go home. She did have friends and people who were waiting for her. Like Lucy. Losing warlock Kol had been a blow and it had made her forget, she had a life. It was just not the one she had begun to imagine for herself. 

“She’s good?” Henrik asked with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. 

“She’s the best,” Bonnie confirmed. “And the funny thing is becoming a vampire actually made her a better person. The transition, it forced her to work on herself.” 

“It heightens personality traits that are already there,” Kol said. “Magnifying it and it makes you more impulsive certainly. However, we also feel things more strongly. Every emotion is heightened. That often tips many vampires over the edge.” 

Caroline had told Bonnie it was like being on crack. And the old Caroline on crack hadn’t been pretty so she had worked hard and brought out the best in herself. Bonnie wished she could have given Caroline a normal life, but at least she would be alright. 

“We feel things more?” 

“You must have noticed,”Kol replied. “Hunger becomes famine. Irritation becomes rage and a mild attraction becomes lust.” 

Caught off guard, Bonnie glanced at Kol. Was that how he felt about her? An attraction that could have only been mild had turned into full-blown lust? It definitely explained why he couldn’t keep his hands to himself when they slept next to each other. 

“That explains a lot and I won’t feed from people. No matter how much better they taste,” Henrik said resolutely. 

“In our time, you won’t have to,” Bonnie said. “The vampires in our time they have other choices. Even if not all of them choose to employ those methods.” 

“Now where is the fun in that, little witch?” Kol replied in response to her dark look. 

“You’re a jerk and I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Henrik.” 

Bonnie walked away and back to the cave. As she lay down to sleep her head was full of thoughts. Mostly surrounding the heightened feelings of vampires. The Kol she had been with would have that experience. The love he had felt for her would be even stronger, which meant the pain he felt when he realized she had abandoned him even worse. 

With a guilty conscience she eventually fell asleep. 

XXX 

Kol was growing weary of travelling. They had been riding for the nearest village for a little over a week now and they should be getting closer, but it was starting to wear on his already thin patience. Mostly because Henrik kept going through every emotion in the book. In the morning, he would have one personality and by the time evening came around, he would have another. 

Then there was Bonnie, who was still a point of concern. He felt this distance between them like a chasm. She had never felt further away. Not even when they first arrived here or when she was dating his past self. No, this was something else. She was still filled with grief and he suspected lost. 

The air was still hot and he spied a lake. They could all use a bath and the horses could use a break. He got off and let the horse graze peacefully. They were well trained and wouldn’t run away. Bonnie and Henrik followed. 

“What are you doing?” Bonnie asked. 

She dismounted and went to the water, refilling her water skin. 

“I need a bath.” 

“Fine, I'll be over here while you swim. I'll go once you are done,” Bonnie said starting to walk away. 

“If memory serves, little witch -” 

Henrik rolled his eyes. Kol knew what that was about. He was tired of being the third wheel again. Depending on his mood, he was fine with it. Other times like now, it made him cranky. 

“Whatever, I'm going hunting.” 

Henrik disappeared in a blur. 

“He’s kind of a normal teenager,” Bonnie said staring in the direction Henrik had disappeared. 

“Suppose so.” 

Kol cracked a teasing smile when she turned to face him. He remembered that day in the cave and he had replayed that memory a few hundred times since it had appeared. And he knew Bonnie remembered it as well. He was hoping a swim before the summer fled completely would close the gap between him and Bonnie. At least a little. 

“I’m going for a swim. Are you coming?” 

“No,” she scoffed. 

“Why not? Scared?” 

“That’s so immature. You know you’re like ancient, right?” 

“I’m not like ancient. I'm 1057.” 

She snorted, but there was an unmistakable smile on her face. 

Kol took his shirt off. He didn’t turn away from Bonnie and he was rewarded with an utterly scandalized look and a blush. Her jaw dropped open and she turned around. 

“I know what you’re doing and it won’t work, Kol.” 

He couldn’t see her face, but her voice was caught somewhere between annoyed and amused. He smirked and started to unbuckle his belt. 

“What am I doing, little witch?” 

“You’re trying to seduce me so I'll sleep with you, obviously.” 

Kol did have to admit, he was obvious. Ordinarily, he didn’t have to put this much effort into bedding anyone, not even witches, but Bonnie was remarkably stubborn. Therefore, he had thrown caution to the wind and decided to tell her flat out what he wanted. 

“Come now, little witch. That's not all I want.” 

He heard how her heart beat quickened and her sharp intake of breath. Whatever she had been expecting that clearly wasn’t it. 

“Stop it,” she muttered and walked away. 

Kol sighed and discarded the rest of his clothes. He threw himself in the water. 

XXX 

Bonnie felt faint. She walked away from Kol and sat down on a rock. She tried to steady herself, but it was difficult. 

What had Kol meant? 

That wasn’t all he wanted, what did that even mean? 

She took several deep breaths and stayed where she was. She heard the noises of Kol swimming. He was right about one thing though, he needed a bath. They all did. Travelling through the woods for days on end, sleeping under the stars and in caves, wasn’t exactly great personal hygiene. 

As hard as she tried to calm back down, it was impossible. Her mind just kept playing Kol’s words over and over again on an endless loop. They still didn’t make sense to her. 

If she had believed it was possible this version of him loved her, was still in love with her or whatever, she would have thought that was what he was trying to say. But how could it be? Kol hadn’t indicated he still had those types of feelings for her. 

Sure, he kept her safe, but without a witch, he wasn’t going to travel through time. That didn’t mean he cared, it just meant she was necessary. Just like he was necessary to keep her alive. She knew nothing about surviving in the wilderness. Even after months in the past, she had a lot to learn. 

She knew he lusted after her. But love and lust weren’t the same thing. You could feel one without the other. And she had asked him point blank, if he still loved her and he hadn’t given her an answer. 

That could only mean one thing, he didn’t. 

Deciding the only way she was going to get any answers out of him was to confront him, she took off her dress and walked down to the lake. She was still wearing her white chemise and when her feet touched the cold water, she was assaulted by memories of her day with warlock Kol. 

That day at the falls, it had been magical. Until the witch hunters showed up, she half-thought she was in a fairy tale. 

Trapped in her memories, she stayed froze at the water’s edge. Kol saw her and swam over. When she still didn’t move, he walked out to meet her. At least he was wearing underwear, otherwise she would have turned and run away. 

As it was, she could see all too much of him. Firmly, she kept her eyes on his. 

“Alright there, little witch?” 

“I don’t know.” 

Kol nodded as if this was expected. He held his hand out to her. “You coming in?” 

“I guess I am.” 

Bonnie put her hand in his. She had to fight to remind herself, this wasn’t her Kol. No matter how much she wished it was. The man that stood before her now was different from the one she loved. But when she felt the roughness of his palm, it was easy to forget. 

Kol led her further into the water. It was cold and it felt good against the heat of the air. She stopped walking when they were past waist deep. She dove in and swam to the center of the lake. She got her hair wet and pushed it out of her face. 

Kol floated next to her on his back. His eyes were closed and he wore a content smile. 

“Isn’t this better than riding all hot and dirty?” 

“I thought vampires don’t get hot?” 

Kol lowered himself so he was staying afloat by kicking his feet. He cracked a lopsided smile. 

“No, but we do get dirty,” he said mischievously. 

Bonnie splashed his face and giggled at the offended look on his face. 

“What did you do that for?” he complained. 

“Just helping you get clean.” 

“C’mere.” 

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. She was flush against his chest. With her chemise soaked through she could feel every inch of him. She blushed and made sure her chest was covered by the water. She reminded herself, he had the memories of those days by the lake so technically it was nothing he hadn’t seen before. But with vampire Kol, it felt different. It always did – he had a way of making things feel more sensual than younger self. 

His arm snaked around her waist, keeping her pinned to him. Bonnie gave him a dirty look even as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. He touched his forehead to hers and his lips brushed hers. Her breath caught in her throat. 

The way he made her feel, the fire that roared through her, she had thought it was gone forever. It could only be ignited now because of the sense of DeJa'Vu this moment was giving her. 

“I remember that day in the caves,” he murmured against her lips. 

His breath fanned her face and she shivered, pressing herself closer on instinct. 

“Me too.” 

“I wished we could have stayed in there forever.” 

She gasped. Her eyes flew open to study his face. He looked content and there was a wistful smile playing on the corner of his lips. 

“That was one of the best days of my life,” she confessed. 

“Mine too. Would you believe it? In a thousand years, I've never had a better day than the ones I've spent with you.” 

“When you were a warlock, you mean?” she breathed. 

She barely dared ask the question. Her heart was pounding and she was scared of the answer. If he rejected her now, he was really lost to her. And she didn’t know if she could go through that twice. Up until now, she had allowed herself to believe at least a small part of her Kol was still alive. 

“Yes, and every day since,” he whispered. His fingers caressed her spine and her knees were weak. The only thing holding her up now was Kol. “I never want to be without you.” 

“You don’t?” 

“No, you asked me before if I still love you.” 

“I did.” 

“I do still love you and I'm still here, Bonnie. Do you still love me? Even like this?” 

Henrik’s scream interrupted.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to preface this chapter by talking a little about the research I have done to prepare for it. Proper inclusion and anything relating to what I assume is the native village the Originals settled in (unless it was a Viking colony? Idk, I don’t think TVD ever mentioned that specifically) is something I haven’t really included previously. Mostly that’s because it’s been difficult to find any or a lot of information about native tribes before the Europeans came in the 1600’s. I am not certain why and I'm sure a historian or someone with more knowledge of this history than me can answer why that is. 
> 
> Another reason, I didn’t include a lot in the past chapters is because it never sat right with me that it was implied the natives in Mystic Falls were all werewolves. It smacked of the same unpleasant representation as in the Twilight books and I wanted to steer clear of that as much as possible while still adhering to canon. 
> 
> But I have done research and dug a little deeper. That said, I still haven’t found much so I am meshing a lot of information I found from later in history and therefore, I apologize for any inaccuracies and errors in the representation of the tribe or their history. I used the Chickahominy tribe and their name based on information from their official website. Additionally, the description is based on a rendering from the same website. I did this because I want this fic to be as historically accurate as possible and again, I apologize for any mistakes or misrepresentations made, if you see any, please don’t hesitate to tell me because that was not my intent and then I will try to do better in the future. Also, sorry about the long A/N.

Bonnie stared at Kol unable to comprehend that he was even asking her if she still loved him. Scratch that, her head was still spinning from his confession. He still loved her. 

Kol was still in love with her. 

She hadn’t lost him. 

Henrik's scream pierced the air and she spun around to face him. Kol was already swimming to shore. A second too late Bonnie followed him. She reached the shore after Kol was well there. 

The scene that greeted her was Kol shaking Henrik’s shoulders. Henrik was covered in blood. Her first impulse was to run to Henrik, make sure he was okay. 

Then she remembered, he was a vampire now. They could take care of themselves so she curbed that impulse. If he had just lost his control, she wasn’t going to test her luck by getting too close. 

Henrik was soaked in blood – crimson red blood from his mouth down to his waist. He was covered in it. His face was spattered with red. She stared unable to believe what she was seeing. It couldn’t be Henrik’s, it didn't look like it could be his and his fangs were out. She saw that now that she had moved closer. Veins protruded underneath his eyes and he was screaming at the sky. 

If it wasn’t Henrik’s - her brain was working too slowly, she was aware of that, but she couldn’t seem to snap out of it. She must be in shock. 

“Whose blood is that?” Bonnie asked in a low voice. 

It didn’t matter, they were vampires they would hear. 

“That’s what I'm trying to work out,” Kol said turning back to Henrik. 

Henrik was still screaming and he sunk to his knees. Growling, Kol hit him. Henrik cried out and then looked at Kol with murderous eyes. He hissed like a cornered animal. Kol’s vampire face emerged and he bared fangs at Henrik. 

In the blink of an eye, Henrik’s vampire face disappeared. Since the first time that had happened, Bonnie actually knew what that was about. Henrik’s vampire instincts recognized Kol as an Original even if he didn’t fully understand the difference on a conscious level. In the face of a super predator, the part of Henrik that was a predator that ran on instinct, retreated. 

“You hit me!” Henrik exclaimed back to being a teenager. 

Bonnie sighed in relief. Moody teenage Henrik she could handle even if it was the vampire version. But the wailing and raging at the sky version? That she had no clue how to deal with. 

“Whose blood is that?” Kol said. 

“I don’t know,” Henrik said. “I was hunting that deer I heard and then I caught a scent. It belonged to man and I could hear his heartbeat, I didn’t know - I didn’t think, I just -” he shook his head and crumbled in on himself. 

“This is bad,” Bonnie whispered. She covered her face with her hands. 

Damn vampires, and just seconds ago, she had contemplated being with one. She was an idiot. It didn't matter what level of control, Kol had or didn’t have. He was a monster, she had forgotten that. Had allowed herself to believe he was still her Kol, but her Kol was dead. 

And this Kol was perfectly fine with Henrik murdering anyone he pleased. It made her sick to her stomach. 

“I’ll find the body and bury it,” Kol said. He was calm, at least one of them was calm because she was panicking. She couldn’t believe she had almost told him she loved him. “Bonnie, help Henrik clean up.” 

Bonnie nodded. 

Kol came toward her. He put his jacket over her shoulders. It warmed her and until now, she hadn’t even realized she was shivering. 

“I’ll be right back, little witch,” Kol told her gently. “You should be fine, his bloodlust has been sated.” 

He kissed her forehead and then he was gone. She was left staring after him, wondering how he could be so close to the same as her Kol yet so different. 

“Come on, Henrik,” she said in a hushed voice. 

Henrik ran past her in a blur and threw himself into the water. She understood, he probably felt sick about what he had done. New vampires were so back and forth with their emotions, and they felt things to an overwhelming degree, she could understand how he had done what he had done. 

She dried off and changed into her dress behind a tree where he couldn’t see her. But she kept an eye on him, if he wanted death all he had to do was remove his daylight ring. When she emerged from the forest, Henrik was right in front of her. His eyes were wide and he was crying silently. 

“Kol won’t do it, but you’re my friend Bonnie, kill me.” 

Bonnie blinked. Henrik had expressed the wish to die before and she was as shocked now as she had been then. 

“I can’t,” she said after a long moment of silence. 

“Why not?” 

“Because I am your friend.” 

She put her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn’t want to get too close either. She had no idea where Kol was and once a vampire had his fangs in her neck – an attack like that wasn’t easy to stop. Not even with magic. 

And she liked living. 

“If you were really my friend, you would stop me before I hurt someone else.” 

“Nonsense,” Kol said cheerily as he reappeared out of nowhere. “Chin up, little brother. It gets easier to control and who knows, you might even develop a taste for death.” 

Bonnie’s stomach lurched. She felt sick just listening to this. 

“Enough,” she snarled. “Enough killing. Just stop already both of you.” 

Kol looked taken aback, but he quickly recovered. Henrik's expression was wounded. 

“Do you have a better idea?” Kol said lazily. “For vampires there are only two choices. Adapt or die. What do you think has kept me alive for a thousand years?” 

“The fact that you are unkillable?” 

Kol laughed. “Yes, that has helped. However, do you think if I hadn’t truly wanted death, I couldn’t have found it one way or another? I could have and I chose to live. Now it’s time for you to do the same, Henrik.” 

“Who are you?” a voice called out. 

Bonnie turned toward the noise. Kol, who was only a few feet from her moved in front of her. He shielded her, keeping her between him and the large oak tree behind her. 

“Show yourself,” Kol demanded. “Or die. The choice is yours.” 

Four men appeared from among the trees. They had black hair and tan skin. On their backs, they carried quivers filled with arrows and a longbow each. She saw they had knives and they were dressed in soft leather pants and shirts with bare sleeves. Their outfits were brown and caramel colored. Their moccasins were light and she knew they must belong to the tribe they were travelling toward. 

“We are of the Chickahominy tribe,” the one at the front said. “And you are encroaching on our land.” 

“Actually,” Kol said tilting his head to the side to study them. “We were looking for your people.” 

“Why?” the second man demanded.   
“We were travelling to visit her family,” Kol lied and glanced behind him at Bonnie. “When we were attacked and we need to trade for supplies to get us through the winter.” 

The man’s eyes narrowed taking all three of them in. Bonnie saw the doubt in his eyes as plain as day. She also saw that Kol’s arrogant demeanor wasn’t winning them any friends. Neither was Henrik, who looked catatonic. To her horror, she saw there was still some blood left on his neck. 

Making up her mind, she stepped around Kol. She held her hands up to show she wasn’t a threat. If things went sideways, there was no doubt in her mind Kol and Henrik would kill these men. Then they would kill their entire village, taking what they needed if it came to that. And she couldn’t let that happen. 

“It’s true,” she said calmly. 

Kol shot her an irritated look, which she understood. The men still had their blades and bows aimed at them. Compared to him and Henrik, she was breakable. 

Of course, if she died she would come back as a vampire. There was enough of Kol’s blood in her system to ensure that and she tried not to think about it too much. 

“Attacked by who?” the fourth man asked. 

“Witch hunters,” Kol replied. 

Henrik looked like this was all new information to him and Bonnie shot him a look to play along. 

“Witch hunters?” the first man said. “Now why would they be here?” 

“They probably followed the Vikings from Europe. We only wish to reach Bonnie’s family safely. We mean you no harm.” 

That was technically true. Kol's original plan hadn’t included murder. But she was willing to bet he would change his mind if he sensed a threat. And she did not feel up to another smackdown with him. That one time at the Mikaelson ball had been enough for her. 

Was she ever sick of fighting vampires, it was a never-ending war. A war she had been so close to ending until she failed, another thought she pushed aside. 

“No offence, but you don’t look like you belong here yourself.” 

“We don’t,” Henrik said. “Our family were Vikings. We settled in Mystic Falls.” 

Kol took over the explanation. “Which we were leaving to go to Bonnie’s family.” 

“Which is where?” 

“Up North,” Kol replied actually managing to sound sincere. Probably because they were headed north. “We can’t return to Mystic Falls because they attacked us there and we have been running ever since.” 

“Why?” 

“Because we have a witch with us,” Kol said as if that was obvious. 

“You have a witch?” the second man’s eyes found hers. “You have someone that valuable in your group yet you set out on such a reckless journey right before winter. Do you have a death wish?” 

“Yes, and it’s me,” Bonnie said taking a step forward. “We barely escaped and if we can just reach my family, we will be given safe haven.” 

“Fine, you can come and speak to the village elders,” the first man said seeming to come to some sort of decision. “But you surrender your weapons.” 

“Deal,” Bonnie said before Kol could argue. 

To her surprise, he handed over his sword willingly as did Henrik. Bonnie passed hers to them as well and watched as they put it away. When she looked at Kol, she understood why it didn’t bother him. They were vampires and she was a witch. Their most effective weapons weren’t swords or anything else that could be forged by a blacksmith. 

They were the weapon. 

The men led them back to their camp. Bonnie tried and failed to tear her gaze away from her sword. She could see the pummel of it in the bag the first man carried. She recalled the day she got it. 

 

Bonnie was in the clearing with warlock Kol. It had quickly become their usual spot for sword practice. Kol was carrying something wrapped in cloth. He gestured her over as he unwrapped it. 

Curiously, she approached and the glint of steel in the sunlight caught her eye. Steel, he couldn’t mean – she didn’t think she was ready to start practice with a real sword for a long time. 

“I made this for you,” he said glancing down shyly. 

“You did?” 

Just looking at the sword made her want to hug him. It must have been hours of work and expensive. It was double-edged and the hilt was stunning. It was carved in intricate detail in a pattern, she didn’t recognize. Black leather covered the hilt, creating a grip. It was no more than two feet long. 

“I did. Do you like it?” 

“It’s beautiful.” 

Her fingers trailed along the flat side of the steel. It was cool to the touch and she felt a spark of something when she touched it. She stared up at him. 

Magic? 

“I infused the steel with magic. See these?” he pointed to the pattern on the hilt. “They’re magical runes. They are there for added strength and protection.” 

“Kol - this is amazing,” she said and her voice caught in her throat. “This is the nicest gift, I have ever received. Thank you.” 

“You need a good sword, every warrior does,” he said with a lopsided smile. 

That smile, it never failed to take her breath away. 

“Thank you so much.” 

He shrugged. “Every sword needs a name. A magical one.” 

“That’s not true,” she laughed. 

He smiled. “Alright, you caught me,” he winked at her. “I have my grandfather’s sword. My father passed it on to me.” 

 

Bonnie was snapped out of her day dream by the sight of the village that greeted her. One of the men said the village’s name was Secota. She immediately liked it. The streets were wide and dirt. Surrounding the streets and the houses were patches of grass. Trees grew freely in the village and she saw a field with corn and other vegetables. A group of children ran out of one of the houses, laughing and shouting. In the distance she heard the babbling of a river, her magic could sense the water and she was amazed at that. Even more so, when she realized she could feel nature stronger than she ever had before. 

The houses looked like longhouses to Bonnie. Upon closer inspection, she saw they were made from bent saplings that were covered with woven mats whereas others were covered with bark. In the center of each cluster of houses, she saw stones ringing fires. 

The three men led them to the center of the village. As they walked through a crowd of curious onlookers gathered. Bonnie saw men, women and children there. As they passed them, she heard curious whispers and felt the excitement in the air. Along with that came a feeling of magic and she knew there had to be at least one witch or warlock in the tribe. 

The men let them in and Bonnie found herself in a room full of older people. They all turned to stare and the men quickly explained the situation. 

The wall was high and she saw a crisscross pattern of beams supporting it. The elders all sat on the floor with animal skins functioning as furniture. 

“Sit,” one of the older women said. 

Bonnie, Kol and Henrik all sat down on the animal furs that covered the floor. One of the men that brought them here, said the council knew they were arriving. 

“We are led by our elders and religious leaders,” one of the men said when he saw the questioning look Bonnie sent him. 

“What brings you here?” an older man said. 

Kol gave them the same story, he had given the hunters in the forest. They nodded and listened intently. But Bonnie noticed the old woman was studying them. Eventually her eyes closed and she looked so still, Bonnie wondered if she wasn’t asleep. 

“Which one of you is the witch?” the older man said. 

“It’s her,” the old woman said nodding to Bonnie. 

That was when Bonnie felt it, the tendrils of magic in the air. The old woman wasn’t asleep at all. She was using her magic to scan them, trying to learn as much as possible. It wasn’t invasive or scary, it was just a gentle assessment. Gauging Bonnie’s aura and powers. She shuddered to think what the old woman would learn about Kol and Henrik. The first time, she had touched a vampire, she felt dead. Since then that feeling had eased, but she could tell a vampire whenever she touched one or even was near one. 

“Witches are held in high esteem here,” the old man said. “If what you say is true, you may stay.” 

“Not them,” the old woman said indicating Kol and Henrik. 

“No offence, but the witch stays with us,” Kol said. His voice was still pleasant, but something dark had come into his eyes. 

Bonnie understood that. They were going home together and as much as she might like to escape because seeing Kol like this was painful, she couldn't. She was stuck with him and Henrik until they returned to their time. 

“Who are you?” Bonnie said to the woman. 

“I am Catori. The medicine woman.” 

“She is our healer and a wise voice on this council,” the old man said. “And I am Dasan. Chief of our people.” 

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Bonnie said. “I’m Bonnie Bennett. This is Kol and Henrik Mikaelson. Brothers from Mystic Falls.” 

“The spirits say there is trouble there and I sense it relates to them,” the medicine woman said eyeing them sharply. “Why is the witch important to you?” she was speaking to Kol. “Do you intend to use her for evil? Because what I sense is evil spirits with you and your brother.” 

“She’s my fiancée,” Kol said and nudged her. 

Bonnie held her hand up and showed the ring. 

“That means nothing to us,” the chief said. 

“Uhm, it’s a Viking thing,” Bonnie mumbled. “We exchange rings.” 

“Ah, we see,” the chief nodded. “We do not have Vikings among our tribe, but we have heard some settled with others.” 

Kol explained that his family as well as a few others had settled among another tribe. 

For the first time, the spell flickered and Bonnie heard the right name he used. She was able to tell he wasn’t calling the village Mystic Falls and she stared at him. Her ears perked and she seemed to notice Kol wasn’t speaking English. Then in the blink of an eye, the language spell Esther had used to send her back in time was functioning again. 

Wow, her head was spinning. 

How many languages did Kol speak? 

“Yet you are not normal,” the medicine woman repeated. “How peculiar.” 

“We mean no harm,” Bonnie said. “Really, we just need supplies. We can trade for them, right?” this was said with a look at Kol. 

“We can. Perhaps somewhere to stay for a night or two as we get everything settled then we will be on our way again.” 

“We need to discuss this in private,” the chief told them. 

Bonnie, Kol and Henrik waited outside of the hut. She could tell by the look on Kol’s face he was listening. Henrik was eyeing up the villagers. Most were going about their business, but they were still studying them. A gaggle of younger girls were shooting shy glances at the vampires and giggled. 

“Henrik no,” she whispered when he smiled at them. 

His face fell. “I wasn’t going to -” 

“You aren’t in control. Just stay away for now, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

She patted his shoulder. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the men was smiling at her. She returned it with a friendly smile of her own. That earned her an annoyed glance from Kol. 

“What are they saying?” 

“They’re scared of Henrik and I,” Kol said. “Bloody witches.” 

“They’re not wrong.” 

Kol studied her for a moment before replying. “No, I suppose they’re not.” 

The man was still staring and she waved. Kol took her hand and she glowered at him. He kissed the back of it. 

“Knock it off,” she said snatching her hand back. 

“We’re engaged, remember? And you always used to like it when I kissed your hand.” 

Bonnie blushed and avoided his eye. The truth was, she still did. She didn’t like how the feel of his lips against her skin affected her. She had been weak, allowing herself to fall for a monster and she needed to pull herself out of this mess before she drowned in it. 

“Are they going to let us stay?” Bonnie said assuming it would be easier to change the subject than discourage Kol. 

“The medicine woman is cautious, she is suggesting a place on the outskirts of the village and a guard.” 

“Like that’ll stop the two of you set your minds to massacring the village,” she muttered. 

“I hadn’t planned on it you know.” 

“Yeah, you’re a saint.” 

“What is with you?” he said in a low voice. “You were fine earlier and need I remind you, I haven’t killed anyone since we arrived here? And I haven’t let Henrik do it either.” 

“This afternoon -” 

“Was an accident,” he cut her off. “So what is wrong with you?” 

“Now isn’t the time.” 

“What is up with you two?” Henrik said. “And why do you keep doing that?” 

“Doing what?” Bonnie asked turning to Henrik. 

She felt a surge of magic go over her that she hadn’t noticed before. 

Strange, were her powers growing stronger? 

It would make sense. Between her time with warlock Kol and Ayanna, she had worked on her magic more in the past three months than in all three years she had been a witch combined. There had been little desperate battles for live, just a lot of learning, practicing and exploring. 

Was that why she could feel the effects of the magic Esther had used? 

“You two do that sometimes when you’re talking just the two of you, switch to a language I don’t know,” Henrik complained. “It’s not fair.” 

“It’s a sign you should mind your own business,” Kol said. 

“We do?” Bonnie glanced at Kol. 

He nodded. 

“Oh, I get it. You're bickering. It's so boring,” he yawned. “It’s obvious you still have a thing even with all the time travel weirdness. So what language is it?” 

“It’s English, Henrik,” Kol said. “You didn’t know?” 

Bonnie shook her head. “Esther cast some kind of spell so I understand everything and speak whatever you guys are speaking.” 

“Peculiar, I thought you were aware of it.” 

“Nope, it’s all Esther’s doing.” 

“So how come you are here? You never told me why mother sent you here,” Henrik said. 

Bonnie looked to Kol. It was his brother and his family business. If he wanted to spare Henrik the pain of knowing Esther returned from the dead to kill him, she couldn’t fault him for it. Henrik had enough on his plate as it was. 

“They’ve decided,” Kol said. “We get to stay.” 

Bonnie let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

The medicine woman came out and ushered them back inside. There was a lot of tension in the room this time again. Along with a lot of distrustful looks. Most of them aimed at Kol. Since, he looked older they probably thought he was the biggest threat to them. 

“You may stay,” the chief said. “However, since you are strangers, we will keep your weapons and the spirits do not trust either of you,” another look aimed at Kol and Henrik. “You will stay in two huts on the outskirts of our village. You will have escorts at all times.” 

Bonnie was surprised by his diplomatic turn of phrase. Kol had said they were discussing guards, but it was smart. Keep an eye on them without coming across as distrustful. 

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Bonnie said. 

“Should you decide, you may stay permanently, Bonnie,” Catori said. “We always have a place for witches in our community.” 

“I take it we’re not invited then?” Kol quipped. 

Bonnie kicked his shin and he shot her an amused smile. 

“I do not what darkness you and the boy bring with you, but we don’t want any part of it,” the medicine woman said coldly. 

“Ahanu will show you to your huts,” Dasan said. “As for your supplies, we will give you what you need if you give us your word you will be gone in three days.” 

“You have my word, we depart in three days,” Kol said immediately. 

Bonnie rose and saw the man that had been smiling at her was now in the hut with them. He nodded to her and she returned his smile. She didn’t need to look at Kol to know, he was not pleased. He must be Ahanu. 

He was handsome. Tall and lanky with long black hair. It glistened even in the dim light of the hut. His smile revealed white, straight teeth. 

“Come with me.” 

Ahanu started to walk and Bonnie followed along with the others. She caught up to Ahanu. 

“I’m Bonnie.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” 

She noticed the bow and arrow, he carried on his back. 

“Are you a warrior?” 

“Hunter,” he corrected with a teasing smile. “Warriors are only needed in times of war.”   
“Right,” she grimaced. “Guess that makes sense.” 

“I saw your swords were brought in. I take it you are a warrior?” 

“No,” she shook hear. “It’s just something Kol is teaching me.” 

She glanced behind her at Kol and his expression was dangerous. She didn’t like the way he was eyeing Ahanu as if he was thinking about ripping out his throat. 

“If you are travelling, it’s a wise skill to know. Not all tribes take kindly to strangers.” 

“Yours has been really nice. We're very grateful.” 

And it was true. Bonnie at least was grateful. They didn’t like or trust the vampires yet they had agreed to help them. It was an act of compassion and she appreciated it. They needed more supplies if they were going to continue to travel throughout the winter. 

“We like strangers in these parts. Here we are.” 

Ahanu came to an abrupt stop. He gestured to the huts. They were made out of what looked like wood, but upon closer inspection was bark and reed mats. They weren’t as large as the homes in Mystic Falls, which were made of bent saplings and covered with bark. But Bonnie hadn’t spent much time in those. She spent most of her time with Ayanna and the Mikaelsons and they had built homes like the Vikings did. 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, come to the village square. If I'm not there the others will know where to find me, Bonnie.” 

Ahanu left. Kol turned up at her side. He looked furious. 

“If you are trying to make me jealous, it won’t work, little witch.” 

“Kinda seems like it already did.” 

Kol looked up at the sky, which was turning dark. 

“It’s getting late. They will serve dinner soon in the tribe center,” he didn’t sound thrilled about that. “You should stay here.” 

“No, why?” 

“Because that medicine woman is powerful and she sensed your power. I'd rather we kept her away from you.” 

“Why? Do you think they’re going to try to kidnap me?” Bonnie asked feeling exasperated with Kol’s paranoia. 

“I doubt that,” Henrik said. “They’re a peaceful tribe.” 

“Your brother doesn’t trust anyone,” Bonnie said. “And I’m going. In the meantime, I'm going to put away my things.” 

Bonnie went into one of the houses. She picked one at random and saw it was ready for inhabitants. There was a large bedroll filled with animal skins and a basin filled with water. She put her bag down and looked through her things. 

After the day, she’d had she wanted to look at the sketch Klaus did of her and Kol. Only, she couldn’t find it. A feeling of sadness filled her when she realized that was what she forgot. When they were leaving Ayanna’s she’d been distraught, she’d packed in a hurry. Somehow, the drawing must have been lost in the fray. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. She could have left anything else behind, but not that. She sat down on her knees and twirled her ring around her finger. At least she still had her ring. Warlock Kol – her Kol had made it for her and she would treasure it for as long as she lived. 

Kol came into the tent, he dumped his bag next to her. 

“You’re not staying in here,” Bonnie told him. “You can sleep with Henrik.” 

“Why not?” 

He looked hurt and she understood why. Ever since they arrived in the past, they had slept next to each other. And she had to remind herself, he wasn’t her Kol. Not anymore, he was a monster now. 

“Because I need space.”   
“I can’t help thinking I did something to upset you,” Kol kneeled next to her. “What did I do?” 

“Nothing.” 

“I can’t fix it unless you tell me.” 

She looked at him then and she knew there was sadness in his eyes. There was no point in hiding it from him. 

“You don’t get it, do you?” she sighed. “You can’t fix it because the problem is, who you are. You're a vampire and I let myself forget that. I let myself believe this perfect fantasy of cuddly vampires. Caroline wants me to believe it, she has for a long time and I finally gave in. Then Henrik gave me the reminder I need.” 

Kol’s jaw was clenched. 

“I’d never hurt you.” 

“But you’d hurt anyone else, easily and it’s not your fault, not really. It's what you are. What all vampires are and I can’t - I can’t let myself be distracted. I can’t let myself believe you are still the same guy I fell in love with because it’s too painful. And when we get back to our time, you’ll go back to the homicidal guy I met at the ball and I'll be the one that’s left hurt. And I'm so sorry because it’s not your fault, it really isn’t. It's mine, I was weak and I'm sorry for that.” 

Kol reached for her then seemed to think better of it as he let his hands fall to his side. 

“You liked me at the ball. In the beginning.” 

That was true. She hadn’t wanted to, but in spite of that there was something about him she had been drawn to. 

“Yeah, and then you tried to kill Matt and I was the one that nearly died. Like I said, I'll just get hurt in the end.” 

She looked down at the floor. She couldn’t stand to look at him when he was like now. He looked so open and vulnerable, it reminded her of the Kol she had lost. 

“I wasn’t going to kill you.” 

“I know, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t be with someone, who kills and does it with a smile. It's not, who I am.” 

“Hey,” Kol cupped her face and touched his forehead to hers. “Little witch, I love you and I will never hurt you or anyone you care about. I swear it. For you, I'll temper my homicidal tendencies.” 

It physical hurt to hear him say he had loved her. It was like there was a hole in her chest where her heart should have been and it hurt so fucking bad. 

“Kol, please,” she squeezed her eyes shut. “Just let it go. Let me go.” 

“Tell me you still love, Bonnie – please.” 

The pleading and desperate she heard in his voice nearly killed her. But she hardened her resolve. 

“I don’t.” 

Kol let go of her like she had scalded him. And in a way, she had. She didn’t like lying to him, but she knew it was the only way he was going to let go. Maybe then she could start to heal. Could move on from him in time. 

“You’re lying.” 

“I’m not.” 

“Guys, there’s dinner,” Henrik said suddenly standing in the doorway. “How come I can come here?” 

“Probably because no one actually lives here,” Kol said over his shoulder. 

He looked blank, but she had caught a glimpse of something dark in his eyes. 

Bonnie got up and went past them to the fresh air outside. Ahanu was waiting for them. 

“It’s this way.” 

“So everyone eats together in the village center?” she asked as he led the way back there. 

“Yes, every evening.” 

“That sounds nice.” 

When they reached the center, she saw people had gathered to sit on mats. There were bowls filled with food being passed around along with clay glasses filled with water. 

Ahanu sat down next to Bonnie and kept up a steady commentary that helped put her at ease. Henrik sat down on the other side of her and she saw, Kol had found a place at the other end of the gathering. He fell into conversation with a pretty girl next to him. Bonnie recognized her as one of the young girls that giggled over him and Henrik earlier. 

But every now and then she felt his eyes on her as she spoke to Ahanu. She noticed Henrik and Kol were eating. It wasn’t something they had done on the road or at Ayanna’s because food was scarce and Kol didn’t like to take any from those that actually needed it. She knew it was an attempt to blend in. If they stayed here for three days and no one saw them eat, people would be suspicious. 

“Your friend, he doesn’t like me much,” Ahanu said glancing toward Kol. 

Bonnie thought it couldn’t be a whole lot more obvious with the dark looks he was sending their way. 

“Kol doesn’t like anyone,” Henrik said. “I wouldn’t take it personally.” 

Bonnie was taken by surprise. It was the first time Henrik had sounded like his old self. He had been an insightful kid before he was turned. He had seen and heard things others thought he didn’t and it made her feel better to know some of his personality was still intact. 

“He really doesn’t,” Bonnie said. “But he’s alright.” 

As she spoke, Bonnie shot a warning look at Kol. She was doing her best to communicate if he as much as thought about hurting Ahanu, she would set him on fire. Kol ignored her and went back to the conversation he was having. 

Bonnie would have been lying if she said it didn’t hurt. But there was no point in it. She needed to get used to it. Her Kol was gone and she couldn’t keep clinging to this idea that he was still there when it wasn’t true. Transitioning from a warlock to a vampire had killed all of the things she loved the most about Kol. He was still the same person, but only his worst traits remained. 

Her Kol had been kind and loving. He was protective and random acts of violence such as Kol had displayed at the ball weren’t something he was capable of. He was only ever violent if someone threatened someone he loved. As a warlock, Kol had been playful and powerful as well as brave. He had generously taught Bonnie everything he knew and had loved learning spells from her. 

As Ahanu told her about life in the village, she found herself intrigued. It was a large community and in the warmer months, they all shared meals. She found herself asking questions and learning a lot. 

“Each of our children have gifts and we as a tribe do our best to nurture them,” Ahanu said. “Some will make good hunters others are eloquent speakers. Whatever their inclination, we train them and teach them to become the best versions of themselves so that they in turn can contribute to the tribe when they are old enough.” 

“That’s interesting. And what if they aren’t good at those things?” 

“We found something else,” he cracked a smile. “Everyone has gifts, Bonnie. Some are healers for instance. And whatever the gift, they are valued members of the tribe. Everyone has a purpose and that’s valuable no matter the contribution.” 

“That’s so different from where I grew up,” Bonnie said. 

Back in her time, things weren’t like that. Sure, everyone played their part, but some jobs were more valuable than others. There was a lot of poverty even if it wasn’t something she had experienced personally, she knew it existed. She thought of Matt and how he didn’t have healthcare and how he struggled to pay the bills because his mom was always out of town, partying and chasing men. 

She felt sure in a community like the one she saw here, there was no place for that. People didn’t end up like that because they cared and looked after each other. It sounded to her like everyone pitched in when it came to raising and teaching the kids. 

There was no alcohol either. She had noticed that before. The natives didn’t have it and she vaguely remembered something she heard in history class a long time before. The introduction of alcohol had been one of many fatal blows to the natives. Since, they didn’t have it, their bodies had no tolerance for it and it had led to a long cycle of alcoholism that was still felt in native communities today. 

She was impressed with herself. She spent most of history class dozing off. Yet it seemed at least some of it had stuck around. 

“I’ll walk you back,” Ahanu said then seeing the curious look on Henrik’s face amended his statement. “Both of you. The village is large and you need a guide.” 

“Ri-ight,” Henrik said and it was obvious, he didn’t believe Ahanu’s words. 

Bonnie could tell and she shot him a warning look when he made a face like he was going to comment. She knew Henrik thought Ahanu liked her, liked her liked her, but she knew that wasn’t true. He was just being friendly and he probably knew like the rest of them that there was something wrong with Kol and Henrik. 

The medicine woman’s words must have spread throughout the tribe because she noticed the elders and some of the younger adults as well, kept shooting nervous glances at Henrik and Kol. Their body language was that of someone, who was expecting trouble. 

“Thank you,” Bonnie said pretending not to know he was acting under orders. 

Ahanu walked her back to the hut with Henrik and Kol sauntering behind them. The whole way there, she could feel his eyes drilling holes into the back of her neck. The friendlier she was with Ahanu, the worse it got. 

Ahanu said good night and left. But Bonnie had a feeling someone would watch them tonight. If they thought the vampires were a threat, it would be foolish to leave them unguarded. 

Kol followed her into her hut. She turned around and glared at him. 

“What are you doing?”   
“They’re watching us.” 

“I thought so. But why are you here?” 

“They think we are engaged, we should act like it.” 

“What about Henrik? What if he wakes up with a midnight craving?” 

“Earlier when him and I were alone I compelled him not to go hunting tonight,” Kol said. 

“And he’s not an Original so he has to listen,” she said finishing his thought. “That’s pretty underhanded.” 

“Correct me if I am wrong, but before dinner you were the one that wanted us to stop killing.” 

“That’s not what I meant. It just reminds me of how Elena had Damon compel Jeremy. He forced him to forget all about vampires and sent him away. He didn’t even get a say and now you’re doing the same to Henrik.” 

“I am helping him,” Kol said in a low voice. “I’m concerned. He should have more control by now.” 

The magic from Esther’s spell disappeared and Bonnie could hear they were speaking English. He probably didn’t want Henrik to overhear and with good reason. It would scare him. Henrik had already expressed a wish to die rather than become a monster. And she knew Kol didn’t have it in him to kill Henrik and neither did she. 

“You think he might be a ripper?” 

“It’s possible,” he admitted. “I don’t like to say it.” 

“But it’s a possibility. It's because he couldn’t stop today when he attacked that man. That's why you think so?” 

“Yes, however, it’s not necessarily true. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to control himself when he smells your blood.” 

“That’s good,” she sighed. “Are rippers born or made?” 

“I’m not certain. I haven’t met many. They usually don’t live long, ordinarily other vampires take them out because they risk exposing us.” 

“He needs to come through the time portal with us,” Bonnie said firmly, making up her mind. 

“Why?”   
“We can’t live him alone maybe for centuries at a time. Especially not if we don’t even know when or where we will land. Not if he is struggling with control.” 

“Very well, he comes with us,” Kol agreed. “But are you certain? The more of us, who go through the harder the casting will be on you.” 

“I’m sure. Ayanna and I went over every detail of the spell. Esther had it in her grimoire and I know I can do it.” 

“Good,” Kol said with a nod. 

“Get out. You aren’t staying here,” Bonnie said deciding it was time to throw Kol out. 

The longer he stayed, the harder it would be to kick him out. 

“Not a chance.” 

Completely ignoring her, Kol flopped down on the bed. He put his hands behind his head and gave her a lazy look. 

“Please,” Bonnie said sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.” 

XXX 

Kol studied Bonnie. Earlier he had been sure, she was lying. She was trying to protect herself. She was still hurt from his transition and grieving. But his patience had begun to wear thin, he loved her and she claimed she didn’t return those feelings. Yet her heart had skipped a beat that usually indicated a lie. 

Then she had flirted with that other man. All an attempt to get him to leave her alone. He wasn’t inclined to oblige. He loved her and in a thousand years, he’d never loved anyone outside of his family. He was not going to let her go without a fight. 

“Bonnie my sweet, I am not going anywhere.” 

She groaned and fell back on the bed too. He had noticed she spent a lot more time pretending to dislike him than she actually did dislike him. He was certain otherwise, she would have at least given him an aneurism by now. That meant there was still hope and the thought cheered him. 

Bonnie lay down with her head on a pillow. She closed her eyes and he watched her. She was beautiful and she was tempting. He longed for those days in his memory when he could kiss her freely. When she kissed him back and didn’t run or push him away at every turn. 

Pushing his luck, he let his fingers trail along the side of her neck. She opened her eyes and stared. 

“You haven’t had blood in days,” she whispered. 

“I haven’t.” 

Bonnie sat up. She pushed her hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck. She wasn’t looking at him, but that was all the invitation Kol needed. He smirked, knowing she was going to enjoy this. 

XXX 

Bonnie’s heart skipped a beat when Kol ran his lips along her pulse line. It was the lightest of touches and warmth spread where he touched her. He pressed his lips down more firmly, kissing her. Her head fell back and she moaned, her eyes closing. 

Without a second thought, she gave in to the sensation. Her hands clung to his shoulders and she felt him lay her body down on her back. His body was a comforting weight. She ran her fingers through his hair arching her back, wanting more. For a moment she let herself believe he was still her Kol. 

His teeth nipped her pulse line and she gasped. He ran his tongue along the spot, soothing the ache. His hands roamed her body hungrily. She let him, enjoying the firmness of his touch, how confident he was, so different from how he had been a thousand years ago. 

His hand massaged her breast outside of her dress. 

“Kol,” his name was a moan. 

His lips were on hers the instant she spoke his name. She kissed him back with a hunger that surprised her. She realized then she missed him. Had missed Kol these past few days even if he had been there. She had missed the connection and closeness of bloodsharing. 

And she let herself give in to that feeling. Let herself give into him. Even now that the illusion he was his old warlock self had faded. She had known the second he touched her so intimately. Her Kol was hesitant and less polished, he never went past kissing. So careful to hold himself back until they were married. 

Kol took control of the kiss. He slowed it down and made it gentler than was before. She moaned against his lips and she felt him smile. He stroked her cheek. He kissed his way along her jaw and down her throat. 

“Are you ready?” he whispered in her ear. 

“Yes.” 

She held her breath, waiting for him to bite her. His incisors nipped playfully at her throat and she sighed. He bit her for real then. 

All she could feel was Kol. She could feel his mind linking with hers. She could feel how he felt about her and that scared her because it meant, he would feel everything she was going through as well. 

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, it drifted away. She was lost in pleasure as wave after wave of euphoria crashed through her. She felt a quickening low in her stomach. Eyes closed. She heard a woman moan, but she had no idea where the noise was coming from. 

She felt Kol withdraw and she whimpered at the loss of connection. 

“Hush now,” he murmured. 

Her head was starting to clear and she knew that voice. It was what he always said afterwards. She used to think she had good survival instincts, but bloodsharing with Kol was making her think otherwise. When it was happening, she never wanted it to stop. 

He pressed his bloody wrist to her lips. He no longer needed to coax her to drink his blood. She lapped it up and closed her eyes, allowing his power to make her strong again. He was ancient and powerful, she could taste it in his blood and soon her own power was back. 

She fell back against the bed. She wiped away his blood from his lips. She caught a glimpse of Kol licking the blood from his fingers in a move that was all too sensual. 

He lay down next to her, he was on his side watching her. His smile was arrogant and she glared at him. 

“What?” 

“Liar,” he whispered. 

Bonnie turned around and lay with her back to him. She didn’t want to talk about this. 

“It’s late.” 

His arms encircled her waist. He buried his face in her hair. His fingers stroked patterns on her stomach. She wanted to move away, but a part of her never wanted to leave his arms again. He was still warm like his warlock self and he smelled the same. After all their travelling, his smelled a little like dirt and forest, but that scent that was uniquely his own was still there. 

“I know you love me. I felt it,” he whispered holding her closer. “Even if you don’t want to admit it that’s fine, I can wait.” 

Bonnie’s eyes filled with tears and she squeezed them shut. 

“You’re not the same,” she whispered. “You’re a killer.” 

“And for you, I can change,” he said in a hushed voice. “Let me prove it.” 

“Please, don’t. I can’t be with you, Kol. It hurts too much.” 

“Just let me prove it.” 

Bonnie started to cry and his arms tightened around her. Eventually, she fell asleep feeling secure in Kol’s arms. Wishing she could stay with him forever and knowing it was impossible.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut later in the chapter. Femslash warning. Skip that part if it’s not your cup of tea.

Before they left the village, Kol had traded the horses for the supplies. They had enough food to carry them through winter as well as furs and winter clothes. The tribe had offered it as a gift, but Kol had insisted they take the horses. Bonnie suspected it was an attempt to show her, he was still the same person. And she knew he was. He was still Kol, but time and vampirism had changed him. 

Since then, they had been travelling by foot for over a month. It had started to snow and the blizzard had kept her locked inside one of the tents for two days. Kol was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. Henrik was out hunting. The blizzard was a nuisance for the vampires, but for her it was deadly. She was wrapped up in furs, lying on her side. 

They had reached the nexus. It was in the middle of the forest clearing and there was nothing there. There were still two more months to go before they could open the portal, but that was fine. They had supplies and the harsh winter kept any threats from other people at bay. 

The real trouble Bonnie was having was boredom. Henrik had the same issue, which was why most of the time he was out hunting. Kol on the other hand, seemed to handle it well. 

“How are you not bored?” 

He closed his eyes and grinned. “You forget how old I am, little witch. I have experienced boredom before. Many times.” 

“Still, I feel like I am going to start climbing the walls.” 

“There are no walls here,” he chuckled. 

She threw a pillow at his face and giggled at his offended expression when he tossed it aside. 

“You know what I mean.” 

“I can think of a few ways to pass the time,” he said in a heated voice. 

“Kol, no. We have talked about this.” 

And they had. Extensively. 

“I know and you are missing out. I guarantee you will I will be the best you ever had.” 

Kol’s latest tactic was to attempt to seduce her every time they bloodshared. It was something, she was trying not to do too often with him because they had a connection. They had from the first time they met. And the trouble was, his plan always worked until her brain kicked back in and she realized what she was doing. 

“I know what I'm missing.” 

“No, you know the first part,” in the blink of an eye, he was under the covers with her looking into her eyes. His dark eyes had gone hazel with warmth and heat crept up her neck. “And trust me, that’s not even the good part, little witch.” 

Bonnie knew that was true. As a virgin, she only had a vague idea of what sex would be like and she had no doubt, sex with a thousand year old Original player would be mind blowing. But she would not give him the satisfaction of admitting to it. And by now, she was getting so used to his casual comments that she was almost immune to them. 

Almost. 

“If I kiss will you shut up about it?” 

“Yes.” 

“Too bad I'm not going to do that then,” she said with a teasing smile. 

Kol groaned and rolled onto his back. He looked exasperated. 

“Being with me doesn’t make you the bad guy.” 

“Yes, it does.” 

Bonnie knew that looking the other way for violence was the same as condoning it. How many times had she come down on Elena for defending Damon for that very reason? How could she do the same? 

A gust of wind shook the tent and she huddled further under the blankets. Kol shifted closer and drew her into his arms. The air in the tent was cold and she curled against his side, allowing herself one night of weakness. She put her head on his shoulder and she knew the only reason she wasn’t climbing the walls was because he was there too. And what a horrible hypocrite it made her. 

XXX 

Two months later. 

The winter air was freezing. Bonnie was sitting by a fire in the middle of the clearing. Kol was watching the night sky and Henrik was pacing, antsy to get it over with. 

“It’s time,” Kol said looking down from the night sky. “The nexus is at full power.” 

Bonnie rose to her feet. She followed the feeling of power in the clearing until she stood by the trees. She heard Kol and Henrik come up behind or felt more accurately. They had been raised in the woods and they moved soundlessly. 

She closed her eyes and began the chant. She could feel her magic rise up inside of her, fueling her words. She focused on going to the next nexus in time. As she chanted, her voice grew louder, more confident as she found a rhythm. 

Kol’s hands were on her shoulders. He massaged her shoulders, whispering words of encouragement. She didn’t hear him, not really, but knowing he was there helped. She could pretend he was his warlock self. 

The spell was gaining strength and she fell to her knees. Her power was draining fast and she was willing to bet, she would have a nosebleed any second now. She felt something warm on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw the blue portal was opening. 

It grew larger with each verse she chanted. Just as her nose started to bleed, it was open. 

“Time to go, little witch.” 

Kol picked her up and ran into the vortex. Her head spun and she saw the same bright blue light as last time. She fell and fell until everything went black. 

The world was still black and she opened her eyes, the light was too bright. She blinked trying desperately to get her bearings. 

“Well look who is awake,” Kol said. 

“You didn’t care when I woke up,” Henrik grumbled. 

“Untrue,” Kol said. “If I wanted you dead, I would have abandoned you to your fate in Mystic Falls.” 

“Kol? Henrik?” Bonnie asked, relieved to hear their voices. “Stop arguing.” 

She struggled into an upright position. The world wasn’t as bright anymore and she could see they were in a grass field, surrounded by large stone boulders. 

“Are we at Stonehenge?” 

“I believe we are,” Kol said. 

“This is so cool,” Henrik said. 

Henrik ran at vampire speed and jumped onto the biggest rock. Bonnie laughed and smiled at him. 

“Any idea what time we have landed in?” Kol asked her. 

“No, I didn’t have any visions this time.” 

“Neither did I.” 

“Hey, I see a village,” Henrik called. 

He disappeared in a blink. He was already on his way, using his speed. 

“Go,” Bonnie said to Kol. 

He nodded and went after Henrik. She followed at a slower, human pace. She caught up to them at the bottom of the hill. 

“Henrik, no killing,” Kol ordered. 

“But -” 

“Henrik!” Kol snarled. 

“Alright, sheesh. You're a buzz kill, big brother.” 

“We are here to find the next nexus and get home. Nothing else,” Kol said firmly. “Right?” he looked at her. 

“Right. We need to blend in,” Bonnie said. 

It occurred to her, she had landed in a time and place that might be dangerous for her. Apprehensively, she chewed on her lower lip. Enough of her ancestors had been enslaved and like her they had magic, which made her think she was vulnerable in spite of her powers. 

What if someone tried to hurt her? 

“I won’t allow anything to happen to you,” Kol said, reading the look on her face easily enough. “But it is probably wise if we get indoors as soon as possible. At least until we know, which era we are in.” 

“Those houses look small,” Henrik said. 

Bonnie had to agree. Compared to the Viking long house Henrik had been raised in, these small thatched houses with grass roofs were tiny. Apparently, the British didn’t make homes as well as the Vikings, she noticed with interest. If history class had been this interactive, she might have stayed awake. 

They found a house on the outskirts of the town. Kol told her and Henrik to stay there. 

“Henrik don’t eat anyone and if there’s trouble, get Bonnie out of here. I'll find you.” 

“Of course,” Henrik said smiling at Bonnie. 

“I can take care of myself.” 

Kol rolled his eyes. “Never hurts to have backup, little witch.” 

Bonnie felt faint, but she gave him a serious look. The truth was opening that portal had taken a lot of energy. Casting big spells always drained her and travelling through time was some of the most powerful magic out there. 

Kol went around to the front of the house. Bonnie waited tensely, she was on high alert. There was another reason, Kol was worried about her here and just because he didn’t say it aloud didn’t mean, it wasn’t as much on his mind as it was on her. This time could be a time when slavery was legal, which put her at risk just because of the color of her skin. Travelling freely with two white men would draw as much attention as their outfits, which she had no doubt were out of place. 

Kol was back before she could get too antsy. Henrik on the other hand was studying the hut curiously. Out back there was a small garden. It was fenced in and the fence was crudely made. A lone goat roamed the backyard eating the meagre supply of grass. Bonnie noticed then the village roads were covered in mud. 

“It’s safe,” Kol said. “Follow me.” 

He led them inside and she saw a man lived there. It looked like he was the only person, who lived there. His eyes were glazed over and he was sitting quietly on a stool. 

“Invite my brother in,” Kol said. 

Henrik was still standing in the doorway. 

“Come in,” the man said then went he fell silent again. 

The hut was as small on the inside as it had looked and it was shabby. There was a single fire in the hearth and a pot with some kind of stew was boiling. Bonnie looked around and saw there was no bathroom, probably no proper latrines like the natives had. The thought made her ill. In the corner there was a small wooden pallet with a thin blanket over it. 

People lived like this? But she decided not to focus on it. They would get out of here soon. They just needed to find the next nexus. 

“Did you compel him?” Bonnie asked taking in his glazed look. 

“Yes, and I asked him some questions we are in 1307,” Kol said looking at Bonnie. “It should mean you are fairly safe, it was before slavery became common. As for this man, he is a serf. There is a castle where a wealthy lord lives nearby.” 

“That’s where you want to go,” Bonnie said. 

“Yes,” Kol cracked a smile. “You know me so well, little witch.” 

Bonnie shook her head and smiled. 

“What’s the plan?” 

“You and Henrik wait here. I'll go ahead and compel the lord and his staff to accept us as their honored guests.” 

“And then I brew the potion, we go into a trance and Lucy tells us when the next nexus opens,” Bonnie said. “And where. It'll save us the trouble of tracking them.” 

“Yes, by now her and Rebekah should have located the correct grimoires,” Kol said. “It’ll save us a lot of trouble if we do not have to blindly follow the compass and the stars.” 

“I have to admit that does sound easier.” 

“And what am I supposed to do?” Henrik complained. “I’m bored.” 

“Welcome to eternity,” Kol said with a teasing smile for his youngest brother. 

“I’m serious, Kol. This whole time travel gig is dull.” 

“I know,” Kol said patiently. “But we need to stay under the radar. I was in a coffin the last time this century rolled around. I have no idea where our family is or what threats we might face. And trust me, dull is better than chaos, which is what will happen if we don’t stay hidden.” 

Bonnie’s stomach twisted into knots. Kol was their best chance at adapting to the centuries because he had been through them before. And she didn’t like the idea of wandering around in a century he had never been in before. 

And then there was the second reason her stomach twisted into knots. She hated the idea of him trapped in a coffin, dead to the world yet still alive. It was a painful image and she tried not to think about it because she was refusing to acknowledge, she still had feelings for Kol. In the past three months, she had made zero headway in getting over him. But then again, that might be easier to do once, she didn’t spend every moment with him – both waking and sleeping. 

“All the more reason, we need to talk to Rebekah and Lucy,” Bonnie agreed. “Be quick, Kol.” 

“I always am,” Kol winked at her and then he was gone. 

“Do you think Kol would be angry if I ate him?” Henrik asked poking at the man, who didn’t move. 

He must have been compelled to stay quiet and sit there. Bonnie didn’t feel right about using compulsion, but if it got them home safely and they didn’t hurt the people, she could live with it. Right now, she had bigger problems like the possibility someone might try to enslave her. 

“Yes, and then I'd have to give you an aneurism because I definitely mind,” Bonnie said snapping out of her thoughts to scold Henrik. 

“A what?” Henrik peered at her curiously. 

“An aneurism,” Bonnie said slowly. “Every blood vessel in your brain would burst. It would kill a human, but for vampires it just heals and as long as I am casting the spell, they continue to burst and heal on a loop. I’m told it’s super painful.” 

“It sounds like it.” 

“Good, so as long as you don’t try to eat him, you won’t have to find out.” 

Bonnie peered out of the window. She saw people going in every direction. And she saw a sign that read ‘Public Bathhouse’, which sounded awkward to her. The people here weren’t as clean as she was used to and she noticed they were wearing lots of clothes. Layers and layers of it. The clothing was made of rough cloth and some of it looked more like rags than any outfits she had ever seen before. 

For the second time since arriving here, Bonnie was amazed by how these people lived. 

The conditions were horrible. Life expectancy must be short and in a way, she thought that must be a mercy. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and in the next second, Kol was standing in the room. He grinned wickedly and looked as smug as always. 

“It’s handled.” 

“Can we go?” 

This place was depressing and Bonnie wanted to skip ahead to the next time period as soon as possible. 

“You don’t like it here?” Kol teased. 

“No, we really don’t,” Henrik said. “It’s boring and filthy.” 

“It’s totally depressing,” Bonnie agreed. 

Kol chuckled. “Just wait until see how the medieval church lords over the people, exploiting them for money.”   
“I thought you were in your coffin?” Bonnie asked. 

“I passed a church and I heard a priest talking about the collection plate and absolution. Did you know you can pay money to be forgiven by God? Will it work for me, what do say, little witch, is it worth a shot?” 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Can we go?” 

“Certainly,” Kol kneeled in front of the owner. He caught his eye. “You will wake up in fifteen minutes. You will forget we were ever here.” 

Kol led the way and Bonnie noticed he kept to the outskirts of the village. And he hadn’t brought back any clothing yet either. But Kol was moving freely and he didn’t look like he was on guard or expecting trouble. There must not be any other supernatural creatures in the area, at least none that he had detected. 

The village was large and once they were past it, they reached another mud road. Surrounding it were acres of meagre of fields. She saw workers in the fields. They had some kind of cutting tool and baskets they put the wheat into. It looked like miserable, break-backing work to Bonnie. 

“What are serfs?” Bonnie asked. 

“Yeah, that’s a word I've never heard before,” Henrik chimed in. 

“I’ve heard of them in like movies and in these historical romance novels Elena likes.” 

Kol grinned. “That explains her vampire fetish.” 

“Don’t tell me,” Henrik grumbled seeing the naughty expression Kol was making at Bonnie. 

“Could you be serious for like two minutes?” she complained. 

Kol laughed. “Serfs are servants of sorts. They are tied to the lord and the land. They work it and have a plot of land to live and work on. Ordinarily, they are impoverished.” 

“How did they end up here?” 

“Inherited from their parents, if memory serves,” Kol said. “The feudal system was a long time ago and I woke up in time to catch the tail end of it.” 

“The dark ages suck,” Bonnie grumbled and crossed her arms. 

It looked to her like everyone was either enslaved or so indebted and impoverished, they were as well in all the ways that mattered. 

Kol and Henrik laughed. 

“Yes, they do,” Henrik said looking around. “I like our way better.” 

Bonnie smiled at him. “I do too.” 

“It’s up here,” Kol nodded. 

Bonnie saw what looked like a castle in the distance. It had turrets it was built of stone. There was a large wall surrounding it and Bonnie thought she had seen pictures of ruins similar to this. She had also been on tours of Scotland when she visited her dad’s family. There were a lot of castles similar to this one that had been kept up over the centuries. 

Once again, Bonnie found herself wishing she had listened while the tour guide talked. Maybe then she would have learned some things that could help her blend in. 

“What’s that smell?” Henrik asked sniffing the air. 

“Werewolves,” Kol said. “We’re close to the full moon and this is werewolf territory.” 

Bonnie’s heart sank. She had hoped, there weren’t any other supernaturals nearby. It would make it easier to blend in. 

“Think there are more witches around?” Bonnie asked hopefully. 

“I doubt it. Witches kept low profiles in England,” Kol said. “And they did not live near each other.” 

“What about covens?” 

“Few and far between,” Kol said. “Or so Bekah told me when I woke. I think she was trying to make me feel better about missing a century.” 

“Your sister is sweet,” she told him and thought about how much she missed her friendship with Rebekah. 

Kol smiled. And Bonnie pretended not to notice how his smile still affected her. 

They arrived at the gates of the castle. The gates were open and they walked right in. Once inside, Bonnie was amazed by the activity she saw. Soldiers, who must function as guards stood in uniform, keeping eye on things. She saw more of them on the wall. She noticed the spears and swords they carried. 

“Are they compelled?” she whispered to Kol. 

If it came to it, she would fight to protect herself, but she didn’t want to. If she attacked normal humans with her magic, it could kill them and she wasn’t a killer. 

“They are,” Kol agreed. “I assumed it was the safest way to gain access. And I honestly, wasn’t certain what they would make of you.” 

Yup, her worries were as much on Kol’s mind as they were hers. 

“Probably nothing good,” she muttered. 

Her eyes scanned the area surrounding the castle and she saw more than guards. She saw, men, women and children running to and from. Some looked like they were enjoying the day and others were running errands. Some of them had set up stalls and others looked as if they worked inside the castle. 

Kol led the way up the front steps to the castle. She took a moment to enjoy the sight of the people here. She saw two young women giggle and for a second, she thought it was Elena and Caroline, sharing secrets about boys. 

Sure, so far, she was under the impression life here was difficult. But it was in a way the same as it was in Mystic Falls both in the 21st and in the past. People were just going about their lives. Working, spending time with their friends and family. 

The castle was impressive on the inside. The walls were high and stone. She took in the tapestries and paintings on the wall as Kol led them toward the dining hall. Along the walls there were torches glowing casting dim light in the hallway. 

They arrived in the dining hall. There was a thin, sallow old man seated there. He was eating with his bare hands and he glowered at them when they came in, but that was quickly replaced by a blank expression. The compulsion must have kicked back in at the sight of Kol. 

“Welcome,” he said. “I am Lord Berrett.” 

“Greetings,” Kol said all too chipper. “I believe you have guest rooms ready for us?” 

Lord Berrett looked at one of the maids on the side. She nodded. 

“I do. Please follow Mary and she will take you there.” 

Mary was an older woman. She had wrinkles and grey hair, but even so Bonnie assumed in years she was younger than she looked. 

Mary led the way through the castle to a wing on the other end. Bonnie noticed there were few windows and the ones that were there, weren’t very large. It gave her a claustrophobic feeling. 

Mary showed Henrik into a room and to ring the bell if he needed anything. Henrik eyed the bathtub and made a confused face. 

“It’s bathtub,” Kol said. “You use it to bathe.” 

“Instead of the lake or river?” Henrik said still skeptical. “I don’t know. Seems wrong.” 

“It’s nicer in winter,” Bonnie said with a smile. 

Henrik snorted. “The cold doesn’t bother me anymore.” 

“Right,” Bonnie said grimacing. 

It was hard to grasp that neither extreme cold or hot bothered vampires in the slightest. 

“This way,” Mary said. 

She was wearing that glazed look all people under compulsion got. Zombie mode and honestly it was starting to freak Bonnie out a little. 

Mary showed them to a second guest room. This one was larger than the other one with a bigger bed. There was an attached room with a bathtub. Bonnie noticed a chamber pot and winced. She hoped they didn’t have to stay here long. 

“Is this my room or yours?” Bonnie asked. 

Mary blinked. “I was told you and your husband would stay here. There are no more guest rooms at this time. My Lord is entertaining powerful guests from the church.” 

“Thank you, Mary. That will be all,” Kol said. 

Mary left, not seeming to notice that Bonnie was glaring daggers at Kol. 

“My husband?” she hissed slapping his arm. “Are you out of your mind?” 

“Easy now,” he chuckled. “Don’t tell me the wedding is off?” 

“It was never on!” 

“Yes, it was,” he protested. “Otherwise, why did you spend all of that time working on a dress with Bekah?” 

“That was warlock you,” she rolled her eyes. “And we never actually got started on the dress. We just talked about it.” 

Guiltily, Bonnie slipped her left hand in her pocket. If Kol spotted the ring, he would never let it go. 

“Don’t bother trying to hide the ring, I know you still wear it.” 

Bonnie looked away. “You know that doesn’t mean we are still a thing. I’m just not ready to take it off.” 

“I do,” he hung his head. “Ready to communicate with the people of Mystic Falls?” 

“I am, I just need to brew the potion. And I'm guessing the kitchen is a bad place to practice witchcraft.” 

“They are compelled you should be fine. But try not to draw too much attention to yourself,” he replied looking thoughtful. “It’s probably best if I came with you.” 

“Why?” 

“To watch your back.” 

“Fine.” 

It was bothersome to have Kol dog her every step, but he was right. The servants were all compelled, but Mary had said there were members of the church here. If they didn’t have a problem with the color of her skin, they would definitely have an issue with witch craft. And if Kol had missed someone during his round of compulsion things could get ugly fast. 

XXX 

An hour later and Bonnie had made the same potion, Ayanna had used to put them to sleep. She had used the herbs, Ayanna had sent with her in case they needed to brew it again. The liquid was clear and she had the same crystal vial that used to belong to Ayanna. It was round with a silver sigil in the middle. 

“Why does it need to be stored in crystal again?” Bonnie asked as they were going back to the bedroom. 

“It preserves the purity of the energy,” Kol replied. 

He stopped at Henrik’s door knocking. Henrik opened and one of the maids ran past them. Her hand was on her neck and Bonnie saw blood. There was blood around Henrik’s mouth. 

“I got hungry,” Henrik said with a shrug. “Before you lecture me, Kol -” 

“Lecture you?” Kol said in a deadly quiet voice. “I was thinking about throttling you.” 

Bonnie stayed back and went to the maid, who had not gone far. 

“I wasn’t going to kill her,” Henrik said. “And I can’t exactly feed off their livestock, now can I?” 

Bonnie put her hands on the wound and cast a healing spell. 

“Very well, but don’t kill anyone,” Kol said with a low growl. 

The skin knit back together and the maid disappeared. 

“You’re okay with this?” Bonnie said. 

“Blood bags aren’t invented yet,” Kol answered. 

“What if he loses control?” 

“That’s how he will learn.” 

“At the expense of someone else.” 

“Look around yourself, Bonnie. Tell me death isn’t a mercy.” 

Jaw snapped shut and she clenched it together tightly. He had pinpointed exactly what she had thought about how young people died. 

“That doesn’t mean you get to choose, who lives or dies,” she said finding her voice. 

“What would you have him do? Give me another option and we’ll take it, but if the werewolves in this area find out we are here, there will be trouble. Neither you or Henrik are immune to their bite the way I am and I don’t think you care to see me during a werewolf bite hallucination.” 

Bonnie glanced at the daylight ring on Henrik’s hand. It was a spare one, Kol carried in case of an emergency and she thought it suited his younger brother. Kol had told her Originals couldn’t die from exposure to sunlight, but it was incredibly painful. 

“If he kills someone,” Bonnie switched to English and double-checked, yes the language spell had stopped working for the time being. “He could kill himself. He's already suffering from what he did to that man. And if he wants to die? All he has to do is take that ring off and walk into the sunlight.” 

Kol tensed. He turned to Henrik with a serious expression. 

“You do not feed without my presence, I won’t have you killing anyone.” 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Henrik said through clenched teeth. “And I don’t need a baby sitter just because your girlfriend says I do.” 

Bonnie grit her teeth together and decided to focus on getting home. If Henrik wanted to be a petulant teenager, he could go right ahead. It was fine with her. 

“Let’s just get the spell over with,” Bonnie said. 

“Excellent,” he grinned. “Henrik can stand guard over our bodies while we sleep.” 

XXX 

Lucy was meditating. She was waiting for the spirits to reach out to her. It was their best chance at reaching Bonnie and Kol. If they went to the astral plane, the spirits would tell Lucy if that happened. The downside was that Lucy wasn’t a psychic. If she wanted to communicate with the spirits, she needed to meditate. 

That was all well and fine except Rebekah did not have the patience for it. She ended up pacing the library as Lucy meditated for hours on end. They had done this for the past two months and still nothing. 

Rebekah was starting to fear Kol and Bonnie were dead. Since the day their mother turned, none of the Originals had developed any new memories, which boded ill for Bonnie and Kol. 

Sighing and starting to turn murderous, Rebekah sat down across from Lucy. She studied her features, trying to discern if Lucy was their friend the same way Bonnie was. Although, it couldn’t possibly be the same as Bonnie was practically family by the time that ill-fated night came around. Rebekah recalled drawing sketches of Bonnie’s wedding dress. Planning the fabric they would make it out of. 

Lucy did not strike Rebekah as family. An alley and potentially a friend. In these past two months, Lucy had certainly acted as a friend. Lucy had shared in her worry and her grief over the loss of Henrik. Lucy had also thrown the Salvatores off the scent. 

Not that it had taken much to distract Damon. Lucy had simply directed his attention toward Elena and Damon had forgotten all about Bonnie. And Lucy had found a spell to unlink the Originals, a spell she was going to complete tonight. 

As for Esther, whatever she had planned next, she had yet to strike. That alone was enough to make Rebekah antsy. Perhaps she was still holding out hope, Bonnie would succeed in murdering them all? 

Or perhaps Esther needed Bonnie for the next part of her plan as well. There was always the hope that Bonnie going rogue had thrown Esther’s plans into such complete disarray she had no idea what to do next. But Rebekah had lived too long to think it would be that easy. 

Lucy’s eyes flew open. She grinned wickedly. 

“Bekah, I knew you would be waiting.” 

Rebekah blushed. No one outside of her family called her Bekah except Lucy and Bonnie. Only, she never felt like blushing when Bonnie called her Bekah. 

“Are they trying to make contact?” 

“They are.” 

“Well what are you waiting for?” Rebekah said irritably. She grabbed for Lucy’s hands and Lucy grinned at her. “Stop smirking and cast the spell witch.” 

“Wow, you’ve been alive for a thousand plus years and no one ever taught you manners?” 

Rebekah rolled her eyes. “Get on with it, would you? I'm not the only one with family trapped in the past.” 

“You are totally making my point, but whatever.” 

Lucy closed her eyes and started the chant. 

XXX 

Bonnie wandered the blackness for a few minutes alone before Kol appeared next to her. 

“Little witch?” he called. 

Bonnie groped in the dark for his hand. She squeezed it tightly and sighed in relief. 

“What the hell took you so long?” 

“Apologies. Henrik wanted to know if he had to guard us or if he could go feed again.” 

“Vampires,” she muttered. “What did you tell him?” 

“That he had to stay obviously. I don’t trust these people. Compulsion or no compulsion, and we cannot wake until the potion wears off. That leaves us more vulnerable than I like.” 

“Are we sure Rebekah will be here?” 

“The spirits will no doubt have told your cousin we are attempting to communicate.” 

“I’m banking on it,” Bonnie said. 

She tapped her foot impatiently. She couldn’t help herself, the astral plane made her skin crawl. The only thing keeping her even remotely calm was Kol’s hand. 

Just when Bonnie was starting to lose patience, Rebekah and Lucy appeared. They appeared at the same time, holding hands. Once they were in the astral plane, Lucy let go of one of Rebekah’s hands. Bonnie knew Lucy was using Rebekah as an anchor of sorts. 

“There you are, cuz,” Lucy said. “I’ve been waiting for months for you to contact us again.” 

“You have?” Bonnie had honestly thought Lucy might have skipped town by now. 

The last time Lucy had come to Mystic Falls, she hadn’t exactly stuck around. She'd stayed just long enough to inform Bonnie she was her cousin and that she would be around. Except that was almost three years ago now and Lucy hadn’t been seen or heard from since. 

“Of course, I have,” Lucy rolled her eyes. “Where are the two of you?” 

“The thirteen hundreds,” Kol replied. “In England. We are staying with a Lord, who controls the lands near Stonehenge.” 

“Oh dear, what an uncivilized time and place,” Rebekah sighed. “I can’t say I envy you.” 

“I know, the unwashed masses,” Kol shuddered dramatically. 

“If you had read the grimoires in Kol’s room, you would know where they are,” Lucy said with an eyeroll. “By the way, breaking that protection charm on your room was a bitch.” 

“I forgot about that,” Kol smirked. “My apologies, but I must confess you are as impressive as your cousin.” 

“Bonnie’s a badass alright,” Lucy said with a wicked smile. “That’s the family legacy.” 

Kol chuckled. “I presume you know where the next nexus is?” 

“Memory failing you, big brother?” Rebekah said with a snide look at him. 

“Well some of us have spent the past thousand years learning rather than playing the strumpet.” 

“Or in your case, you did both. Have you told Bonnie just what a manslut you’ve been over the centuries?” Rebekah asked tilting her head to the side. 

Kol growled low in his throat. 

Bonnie rolled her eyes. A thousand years later, and they still bickered like they had when they were teenagers. 

“Where is the nexus?” Bonnie said looking at Lucy. 

“It’s three months from now. Does our timeline match up?” 

“I believe so,” Kol replied. “I’m not certain however, it gives us a rough idea. Where? I don’t like blindly following the compass.” 

“You’re worried about Bonnie,” Rebekah said. “You’re afraid something is going to happen to her on this journey. Why?” 

Kol looked away and didn’t answer. Bonnie tugged on his hand. 

“Is it true?” 

“I’m concerned we will run into either Nik or father. If either one discovers that you are still alive -” he shrugged. “They’ll hurt you.” 

“Or try to,” Bonnie said with a reassuring smile. “I’m not helpless you know that.” 

“Always so overprotective,” Rebekah said with exasperation. “Bonnie can handle herself and I'm sure she is more than capable of surviving your trip to London.” 

“London?” Kol groaned. “If the countryside is this filthy and depressing, I've no doubt the city will be worse.” 

Bonnie didn’t say so aloud, but she did agree. So far, she wasn’t enjoying her time in the dark ages. On the bright side, it made her look forward to returning to the twenty-first century. The downside was it made her miss her time with warlock Kol even more. Their life in Mystic Falls had been so nice. It had been like a dream and just as if it was a dream, she had been rudely awakened. 

“Cheer up, big brother. What is three months out of an eternity?” 

“Too long in the dark ages.” 

“And I don’t have an eternity,” Bonnie said quietly. 

“Kol -” Rebekah hesitated and seemed to draw courage from the look Lucy sent her. “Why is Henrik’s body missing?” 

“I don’t know,” Kol lied. 

Before Bonnie could ask what the hell he meant by that, he squeezed her hand. She trusted, he had his reasons. Maybe he wanted to surprise Rebekah or spare her the pain of losing Henrik twice if something happened before they reached their time. After all, they still had seven hundred years to go. And Henrik had expressed suicidal tendencies more than once. 

“I had hoped -” Rebekah shook her head and the sadness vanished from her eyes. “Bonnie you will be pleased to know, when you return no one other than your friends will ever know you were missing. I took care of your father and the school.” 

“Thank you, Bekah,” Bonnie said gratefully. 

“You didn’t kill me when you had the chance,” Rebekah shrugged and looked away. 

“As if I would have allowed any such thing,” Kol muttered. “What do you take me for, sister?” 

Bonnie felt a tug in her lower stomach. The spell was wearing off. It was time to go. Before she could say anything, she was jerked out of the astral plane. A split second later, she felt it when Kol’s spirit followed hers. 

XXX 

Later that night, Kol was watching Bonnie sleep. She was beautiful and innocent. She appeared so peaceful even though he knew she wasn’t. She didn’t like this new era and he could tell she was afraid. Her brow furrowed and he gently smoothed the crease with his fingers. 

From the next room, he could hear the noise of Henrik’s snores. He grinned ruefully, imagining how Rebekah would react when he returned with their little brother. He hadn’t wanted to spoil the surprise or put her through more pain if Henrik killed himself. That was another concern of Bonnie’s and he shared it. He didn’t share her other concerns, he would protect her with his life. 

And he had no fear of Nik in the future. He had a way of dealing with his half-brother if he should threaten him or Bonnie once they were back in the present. Perhaps then she would confess she loved him, if only he could prove to her that he was still capable of kindness. He knew it was the changes in him that frightened her. But there was one thing that had not changed, he would still protect her with his life, if need be. 

He just hoped, Bonnie never learned the devastation he had caused after he lost her. Kol honestly hadn’t thought it was possible to become more of a monster than he had already been. But grief-stricken, betrayed and heartbroken, he had become the worst version of himself, stooping to new lows than before. 

 

Kol had torn his way through a tavern in medieval France. He dropped the barmaid, whose blood he was draining. She was a pretty little thing and he had saved her for last, hoping she would sate his bloodlust. She didn’t. 

The truth was, the only girl, he wanted was Bonnie and no amount of blood or sex could fill that void inside of him. He wiped the blood from his mouth and finished a tankard of wine before climbing the stairs to the bedroom he was staying in. 

He was only in this small French village because he’d heard rumors there was a powerful black witch here. One unrivalled in her talent, but after draining the village dry, he had discovered Bonnie was not here either. He had been searching for over two hundred years and not a single sign of her. This had been his last straw. And the witch in question, he’d caught a glimpse as she slipped out of the village before he killed everyone in it. 

Whoever that girl was, she wasn’t his Bonnie. 

Kol grabbed a bottle of alcohol and sat down in the window of his room. Feeling miserable, he took out the sketch of him and Bonnie. He stared at it. He had his arms around her and she was smiling up at him. Nik had sketched it up quickly yet it had perfectly captured the moment. More importantly, it had perfectly captured Bonnie’s smile and those beautiful eyes of hers. 

The sketch was his only consolation. Along with the knowledge that Bonnie was still alive. He knew she must be because if she had died, he would have felt it. And he knew, she had left him. But he didn’t care, he was going to track her down and win her back if it was the last thing he did. Nothing else mattered, he loved her and he would never love another girl for as long as he lived. 

The door to his bedroom flew open and he tucked the sketch into his pocket. Klaus was standing there along with a coldly furious Elijah. 

 

Kol shook himself out of the memory. He didn’t need to relive another moment when Elijah helped Klaus dagger him. Just as he need not dwell on the worst version of himself. He knew the only reason, he was keeping himself in check was because Bonnie was by his side. Otherwise, he didn’t care, who he hurt. It was all good sport to him, but he knew if he kept that up, Bonnie would leave him for good. 

XXX 

Rebekah was gathered in the library with Lucy as well as her brothers. Katherine was lurking on the balcony in the library. Even under Elijah’s presence, the doppelganger tried to avoid getting too close to Klaus. A smart move and it came as no surprise to Rebekah that Katherine had managed to survive so long. 

Lucy was going over the spell one last time. She had everything she needed, but as she said, it was a difficult spell and she needed to get it right. 

“Your mother is one crafty bitch, I'll give her that,” Lucy murmured as she read the spell, index finger moving easily along the Latin words. “But lucky for you, you’ve got a Bennett in your corner.” 

“So does mother,” Klaus growled. 

“No, not anymore,” Rebekah said with an eye roll. “When we severed the Bennett line, we severed mother’s connection to the spirits. She's on her own and we all know, mother was never anywhere near as powerful as Ayanna.” 

“It’s true,” Elijah nodded. 

“You never did much understand witches, Nik,” Rebekah sighed. “I know you fancy their power and love to keep them under your thumb, but you don’t understand them or their magic.” 

“Unlike Bekah here,” Lucy muttered. 

Once again, Rebekah found herself blushing. 

“Just get on with it,” Klaus snapped as impatient as always. 

Lucy raised her athame. She sliced open her palm and let the blood drip onto the parchment. Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, Niklaus and Finn were written on the bottom. Lucy closed her eyes and started to chant in Latin. Rebekah listened absent-mindedly, catching the occasional phrase or word. 

Unbind. 

Unlink. 

Break the bond. 

Blood of blood – never to intermingle again. 

Lucy's voice grew louder with each verse that passed and Rebekah grew more focused. Lucy was stunning, Rebekah observed as she paced around to the front of the table where she could see her better. 

It wasn’t just that she was beautiful, she was powerful. There was something captivating about her and a fierceness that was appealing as her magic grew more powerful. The blood on the parchment vibrated and started to move. Lucy's voice grew louder as the blood began to separate. 

Soon, Lucy’s blood had moved from one individual pool to several bloodlines, each one leading down to their name. A gust of wind blew open every window and door to the library with a loud slam that made Rebekah jump. 

Lucy fell forward, hands clutching the table and breathing hard. Her eyes opened and she grinned wickedly at Rebekah. 

“It’s done.” 

“Are you certain?” Klaus growled. 

“Don’t trust me?” Lucy shot back, whirling around to glare at Klaus. 

“Niklaus, please,” Elijah said. “Lucy has every reason to want us unlinked.” 

“Don’t trust her?” Katherine purred leaning over the railing. “Your paranoia is absurd.” 

Rebekah shot her a nasty look. She'd always hated Katherine and her constant presence in the manor and her flirtation with Elijah was starting to wear on Rebekah’s patience. 

“Why should I?” Klaus demanded. “She’s your witch, Katerina.” 

“I’m no one’s witch,” Lucy snarled. She got to her feet. “If you lot die then Kol dies and Bonnie is alone in the past. I can’t say I like or trust your brother, but I think Bonnie stands a much better chance of making it home alive with an Original watching her back.” 

“It’s true,” Rebekah chimed in. “Mother screwed Bonnie over worst of all. She never cared if Bonnie made it back to the present alive so long as we were dead.” 

“I’d like to reintroduce that bitch to the Other Side,” Lucy growled her eyes flashing dangerously. 

Rebekah had the feeling if she could still sense magic then Lucy’s would be simmering threateningly in the air. 

“Very well, but if you lied to me, there will be hell to pay,” Klaus said stepping forward menacingly. 

“If I did, you’d be dead before you figured it out.” 

Lucy stalked out of the room and Rebekah followed her. She caught up to Lucy just outside of her guest room. 

“Thank you,” Rebekah said catching her arm and turning her around. “I know you did it for Bonnie and not us, but thank you.” 

“Like you said, I didn’t do it for your family,” Lucy said with a shrug. 

“Still, thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” Lucy said, lips parting into a smile. Rebekah's gaze dropped to her lips. There was something inviting about them and she blushed, realizing she was staring. But when she looked into Lucy’s eyes, it didn’t appear as if she minded. Quite contrary. “C’mon.” 

Lucy took her hand and laced their fingers together. Scorching heat raced through Rebekah at that one touch. Lucy opened the door and led her inside of her room. Once inside, Lucy slammed the door shut and locked it. 

Before Rebekah quite knew what was happening, Lucy had shoved her against the door. She pressed her lips firmly to Rebekah’s and she gasped. Lucy wasted no time in deepening the kiss, it was rough and desperate, Rebekah’s heart pounded and she hoped her brothers couldn’t hear. 

“My brothers,” Rebekah murmured turning her head away. “They could hear.” 

Lucy waved her hand and loud music poured out of the room’s speaker system. It was loud and Rebekah sighed in relief, over that none of the other vampires would be able to hear them. 

“Now they can’t,” Lucy smirked. “Shut up and kiss me.” 

Lucy grabbed a fistful of Rebekah’s hair. She tugged on it, hard and Rebekah whimpered as pain shot through her skull. Lucy crashed their lips together and kissed her with a ferocity that stole her breath away. 

Rebekah wrapped her arms around Lucy’s neck and she heard the witch growl. Lucy took her wrists and pinned them at her head, against the door. Roughly, she kissed her way down Rebekah’s neck, biting at her pulse line only to soothe the ache with a quick flick of her tongue. Dampness pooled between Rebekah’s legs, the wildness and the touch of pain was exactly what she had been craving. 

But she wasn’t one to simply receive. 

Using her speed and strength, Rebekah flipped their position. She pinned Lucy to the door and grinned. Lucy glared at her and a wicked smile curved her lips. 

In the next instant, Rebekah soared through the air and landed on the bed. Magic manacled her hands above her head. Lucy's hand cupped her throat lightly, squeezing. She kissed her again and started to undo Rebekah’s jeans. Rebekah mewled and Lucy squeezed her throat harder, the lack of oxygen was exhilarating and her core throbbed painfully. 

Rebekah tried to kiss Lucy and she turned her head aside harshly. Instead, Lucy kissed the top of her breasts that were peeking out of her blouse. 

“You’re not very nice, are you?” Rebekah panted as Lucy nipped at the sensitive flesh. 

Lucy’s hand was now inside of her panties and her finger traced the line of her slit. Rebekah blushed and squirmed when she realized, Lucy would feel how wet she was already. Lightly, Lucy repeated the movement, this time scratching her playfully with her long fingernails. A shiver of delight ran down Rebekah’s spine in response to her caresses. 

Lucy turned her face back to hers. She kissed her, it was hard and she nipped at Rebekah’s lower lip, eliciting a soft mewl. Breathing heavily, Lucy touched her forehead to Rebekah’s, her hand tightened around her throat briefly only to ease up a moment later. 

“No, I'm not,” Lucy agreed with a wicked smile. “I was being nice because I wanted you and now that I have you, I see no reason to hold back.” 

All of Lucy’s kindness and shows of support throughout this ordeal had been seduction? Her eyes widened as she studied Lucy’s green eyes. For the first time, she saw what was there. Unbridled lust. 

Before Rebekah could formulate a reply, Lucy pushed her fingers inside of her, not giving her a moment to adjust before she pumped. Her fingernails scratched her walls teasingly and Rebekah moaned, losing herself in bliss. 

XXX 

Afterwards, Rebekah lay curled against Lucy’s naked chest. It was hours later, Lucy had worn her out and that was no easy feat. Rebekah had lost count of all of the times Lucy had made her cum. 

“Hm,” Rebekah sighed resting her head on Lucy’s thigh. 

“Get out,” Lucy said briskly. 

Rebekah sat up, startled eyes wide. 

“But we -” 

“I know and it’s was great,” Lucy smirked. “You’re good, I'll give you that, but I don’t do overnighters. Those are earned.” 

“I think I did earn it,” Rebekah said straddling her hips. Her lips grazed Lucy’s throat. “And I think I earned a little something else too.” 

Her incisors nipped at Lucy’s pulse line. 

“I’m not your blood bag,” Lucy growled. “Now get out.” 

“You throw me out now and I won’t be back.” 

“Yes, you will,” Lucy whispered in her ear, lips grazing the shell of her ear, making heat spike through Rebekah. “Girls like you always come back for more.” 

Bewildered and hurt, Rebekah hastily dressed. 

“Bitch,” she snarled over her shoulder. 

The last thing she heard before she slammed the door shut was Lucy’s laughter. 

XXX 

Bonnie sat in the carriage sulking as she looked out on the scenery. The British countryside looked as if it might be green on a sunny day, but on yet another rainy day it was grey. Thick foggy mist hung in the air and she watched as the sun set. Or at least, she suspected it was setting because it was growing dark, but the fog was so thick, she couldn’t actually see the sky properly. 

“Does it ever stop raining?” Henrik muttered sliding further down in the coach. 

Bonnie understood, riding in the carriage had been the hardest on him. He was young and full of energy as a new vampire. He wanted to run, to use his muscles and he was stuck in here with them. 

This whole carriage ride had been Kol’s idea. She and Henrik had wanted to take horses and ride straight for London, but Kol had vetoed that plan. He argued that Bonnie as a woman would stand out on horseback and if they were in a carriage, they could keep her as out of sight as possible because although slavery had not come to Great Britain yet there was stigma surrounding the color of her skin. 

Bonnie had spoken to Lord Berrett and had learned slavery had in this century was different than that she had grown up learning about. She had also learned there were a number of people of color in Britain with varying social status. However, most were regarded as less than fully human and a shiver of fear had run down Bonnie’s spine. 

At the same time, she wanted to fight. She wanted to track down the source of this nonsense and put an end to it. She'd ranted for a long time when she was alone with Kol. He had listened intently the wheels in his head turning and finally, he and Bonnie had decided to take no chances. She was going to stay as out of sight as possible. She just wanted to get out of here and the easiest way to do that was travel unseen and get through the nexus as soon as possible. 

Fortunately, this time around she did not have to wait long. The nexus opened in the morning and they had been travelling for three days straight. They had ridden around the clock only stopping to allow the horses food and rest at Bonnie’s behest. Kol had agreed, he was as eager to reach their next stop on the leg of the journey as she was. 

“We know you are bored,” Kol said. “Take a horse and ride alongside the carriage.” 

“Nah,” Henrik shrugged. “I can’t go very fast because this thing is painfully slow.” 

“I know, Henrik. I'm sorry, I know this isn’t very fun for you,” Bonnie said gently. 

Kol tensed. He cocked his head to the side, listening. 

“What’s that smell?” Henrik said. 

“Werewolves,” Kol said quietly, he cursed under his breath. 

“It’s a full moon,” Bonnie said opening the curtain. The moon wasn’t visible in the sky and she was so out of tune with the time here, she hadn’t realized. When Kol had told her there were werewolves in the area, she should have checked the lunar cycle, she was so stupid. “They’re following us, aren’t they?” 

Kol nodded and cursed again. 

“But why?” Henrik asked. 

“Vampires and werewolves, don’t get along, little brother. I think we may have inadvertently encroached on their territory.” 

“If they are still in human form, we can try reasoning with them,” Bonnie suggested. 

“No,” Kol shook his head. “They won’t listen. Nik spent most of the 1300’s trying to subjugate werewolves all over the world. Or so Elijah claims and I'd believe him. He never strays too far from Nik’s side.” 

“He did what? Why?” Henrik sputtered. 

“Oh my God, I could kill Klaus,” Bonnie muttered before raising her voice. “Then we need to get out of here. Because if they are fighting your brother, I don’t' think they’ll like any vampires let alone Klaus’s family.” 

“Quick, we’ll free the horses and gallop straight for London,” Kol said slowly. “I don’t have any more of Nik’s blood and if Henrik or I am bitten-” 

“It would be bad,” Bonnie agreed immediately. 

“Not mention you, little witch. You're not exactly immune either.” 

Bonnie nodded. She wouldn’t need to worry about turning or going crazy if she was bitten. Chances were, they would just keep devouring her until she died. Maybe even past death depending on the circumstances. Which wasn’t better. 

As a team, they got out of the carriage. Kol compelled the driver to take a horse and straight for the nearest shelter. 

“Why did you do that?” Henrik asked as he was unhooking the horses. The third horse that was tethered to the back of the carriage, Bonnie was unhooking while Kol stood watch. 

“They won’t hurt him,” Kol said. “Werewolves are aware of compulsion and how vampires use it.” 

“Gee, I wonder why vampires are so unpopular,” Bonnie said under her breath. 

Kol shot her a look of exasperation. “Yes, yes, we’re all horrible people except your perfect Carol.” 

“It’s Caroline,” Bonnie said. 

Kol rolled his eyes. “Nik’s obsessed with her you know.” 

“I figured. I saw them at the ball,” Bonnie replied easily. 

“Caroline’s your vampire friend, right? The one that’s good?” Henrik asked and there was a note of optimism in his voice. 

“Yes.” 

Using Caroline as an example, Bonnie had given Henrik hope he didn’t need to be a monster just because he was a vampire. And she hoped when they made it back to the present, Caroline could help him adjust to life as a vampire in a way the Mikaelsons couldn’t. The Originals had all given in to every vampiric urge to murder, but not Caroline. With Stefan’s help, she had become the best version of herself. 

The horses got free and they all set off at a gallop, heading straight for London. They didn’t have time to waste on a fight and it was definitely not something they should risk. 

In spite of the horses’ speed, they were unable to stay ahead of the wolves for long. In a matter of minutes, the wolves had caught up. Kol threw himself off his horse, launching himself through the air and tackling a werewolf. 

Henrik jumped off to evade the snapping jaws of a white werewolf that had caught up to him and his horse. Bonnie strangled a scream and pulled the reigns on her mare. If she hadn’t, the werewolf would have snapped the chestnut’s neck in two. 

Bonnie kicked the werewolf in the head. He snarled and snapped at her. She jumped off the horse as well. Hitting the ground in a painful thud and rolling to a stop. The world spun, but she knew she didn’t have time to adjust. The wolf growled and was running toward her. 

Bonnie raised her hand and used her magic. “INCENDIA!” 

Flames rose like a thick wall in front of her. She felt the heat against her skin and watched as the werewolves recoiled. With their tails between their legs and their heads hung low, they prowled the outskirts of the flames. Their teeth were bared and they were growling threateningly. 

Bonnie kept her hand up and focused her energy on keeping the spell going. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kol tearing his way through the wolves. Unfortunately for them since, he didn’t have any of Klaus’s blood on him both he and Henrik were at a disadvantage. More than anything, they needed to make certain they weren’t bit. 

Henrik had more than ten wolves advancing on him. How could the pack be so big? Even the one back in Mystic Falls had been smaller yet there had to be nearly forty wolves here. 

“RUN!” Kol shouted at Henrik. 

Henrik shook his head. 

“RUN, HENRIK!” Bonnie cried. 

There was no other choice, Henrik was surrounded. As were Bonnie and Kol. If he didn’t run away, any second the wolves were going to get him. Out of all three of him, Henrik was the most vulnerable as a baby vampire. 

“NO!” Henrik cried. 

Bonnie raised her hand. “MOTUS!” 

Her spell sent Henrik flying and he hit the ground. He scrambled to his feet and disappeared in a blur. Bonnie breathed easier knowing Henrik was out of danger. 

Bonnie refocused her attention on the spell. She saw then and there that her spell had vanished. The flames were gone and a wolf leapt at her. She ducked and rolled out of the way. She closed her eyes and raised a shield around herself. When she opened her eyes, she saw a golden sphere was protecting her. 

The wolves soared through the air and hit her shield, but one by one they bounced away. Slowly, she could feel the telltale signs of a nosebleed about to begin. Eventually it did start and she touched her fingers to her skin, coming away with blood. Her magic was starting to fade and the wolves were relentless in their attack. 

Out of nowhere, Kol tore through the wolves throwing them aside. She fell to her knees and let her shield drop. Kol stood in front of her, protecting her from immediate attacks. In the blink of an eye, Kol was on the ground and the werewolf tried to bite his throat out. 

“MOTUS!” Bonnie shouted. 

The wolf soared through the air and hit the tree trunk with a loud thud. The tree cracked and the wolf fell to the ground lifeless, she felt a surge of guilt and hoped the wolf would be alright. 

She scrambled to her feet and Kol tore through the wolves. They ended up backed against a giant oak. Kol pulled her behind him and snarled menacingly at the wolves. 

“Was Henrik bit?” 

“I don’t think so,” Bonnie said shaking her head. “But I don’t know.” 

“Stop,” Klaus’s voice rang out and he stepped forward. The wolves parted for him and he stopped right in front of Kol. “Brother, I see you have orchestrated an escape from your coffin. How did that happen?” 

Fury rose in Bonnie and she raised her hand. Power surged forward and out of her. The aneurism brought Klaus to his knees. The wolves snarled threateningly at her and she broke the spell. She couldn’t have kept it up much longer and if she didn’t stop now, her nose would start to bleed. Just as always, she was not willing to show weakness to Klaus. Kol's grip on her hand tightened protectively. 

“Get out of here, Nik,” Kol growled. “I’d hate to have to kill you however, I will do it.” 

Bonnie clutched his hand with both of hers, terror was coursing through her and she was frightened Klaus would kill Kol once and for all. Or use a dagger to put him down. She stepped forward and raised her hand, ready to attack again. 

Klaus got to his feet and dusted off his hands. “I suppose that answers the question. Your witch found you at last.” 

“Get out of here, Klaus. You're messing with things you don’t understand,” Bonnie said. 

“As usual,” Kol agreed with a chipper smile. 

“Now, now,” Klaus said moving toward them. “I might be persuaded to let you go, Kol. After all you are my brother, but the witch? She defied me when she released you.” 

“Her name is Bonnie,” Kol growled. “And you know it.” 

“We were friends you jackass!” Bonnie snapped. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.” 

Klaus growled furiously. “And when might that have been?” 

“I’ve had more chances than you know,” she hissed. 

And it was true. She could have killed him both in the past and present. The bastard had no idea how lucky he was to be alive. 

“I’m curious,” Klaus tilted his head to the side. “How are you still alive, Bonnie? It's been centuries,” Klaus sniffed the air and smirked. “Still a witch I see, not a vampire. I suppose Kol wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“What’s he talking about?” Bonnie asked Kol. 

Was this about the witch fetish, Rebekah had insinuated Kol had? Because she already knew about that. 

“I’m talking about how in the past three hundred years, Kol has never shown more than a fleeting interest in a female vampire. He never stopped searching for you, in truth his last attempt to find you grew so out of control, I was forced to put him down. Yet here you are, still a witch and I can’t imagine Kol would want you if you were a vampire.” 

Kol’s muscles felt tense underneath her hands and she knew Klaus was telling the truth. Was that why Kol had been daggered this century or had Klaus simply daggered him ahead of schedule? 

And Kol was hurting. He missed her, felt abandoned and was searching everywhere for a girl out of time, who wouldn’t even be born for another seven hundred years, give or take a decade. If he had grown even more violent in her absence a part of her understood. If their situations had been reversed, what would she have allowed herself to become? 

“Back off now. We're leaving,” Kol growled. “Bonnie run along. Our destination is close.” 

“Not so hasty, Bonnie,” Klaus smirked. “How did you find Kol?” 

“None of your business.” 

Klaus tensed and listened intently when one of the wolves growled. 

“Are you certain?” Klaus snapped. 

The wolf growled again, making a different noise this time. 

“Mikael,” Klaus snarled. “I suppose I will simply trade you and the witch for my safe passage.” 

“Mikael doesn’t kill witches,” Kol drawled. 

But he was worried, Bonnie saw through his brave exterior. Just as she felt how his hand clutched hers. 

“He wants this one,” Klaus smirked. “Apparently, word has reached father about your rampages and your attempts to locate her. 

Bonnie saw a figure up ahead. No, not a figure. Just a blur as someone raced toward them. 

The wolves turned and attacked. Kol picked up Bonnie and vampire ran away. She turned her head just in time to see Mikael attack Klaus. They fought and the wolves joined. Then they were over the hill and saw she nothing more. 

Kol only stopped running when they reached a hill outside of London. Bonnie took out the compass, it pointed north. 

“We should go this way,” she told Kol. “Hopefully, Henrik will meet us there.” 

“He should be here,” Kol said looking around. 

“You don’t think -” Bonnie hesitated, afraid of the answer. “You don’t think Mikael got to him first, do you?” 

Kol shook his head. “No, I don’t think so,” he sniffed the air. “Henrik has been here recently. Most likely he was distracted by a pretty girl.” 

“You Mikaelsons,” Bonnie muttered. “He’ll be able to track our scent?” 

Kol nodded. 

Bonnie started walking, following the compass as it pointed north. They passed by several of those same depressing houses and the streets were lined with mud with the occasional street cobbled. The cobblestone was fresher than the ones she had seen in the old parts of Scotland on her visits there. It was rougher and it cut her feet underneath her leather shoes. 

“What did Klaus mean?” 

“About?” 

“Rampages, your rampages,” Bonnie said forcefully. “And will Klaus die? Because if Mikael -” 

“No,” Kol shook his head. “Father and Mikael come to blows about once or twice a century yet Nik somehow always manages to evade his clutches.” 

“Good, although I suppose it would be good in a way if Klaus died.” 

Bonnie was thinking of Caroline and Elena. All of the ways her and her friends had been hurt at the hands of Klaus or because another vampire was acting out of spite or desperation to escape Klaus. In the end, it always came back to Klaus. 

“I can’t argue that however, I'd rather he wait until I'm out of the coffin.” 

Bonnie cracked a smile. “I get it. But wouldn’t one of your other siblings let you out?” 

“Naturally, but Rebekah and Elijah are not always present. Who knows how long it would be before they found me?” 

“That sucks,” she said and cleared her throat awkwardly. “But what did he mean?” 

Kol looked away and his expression was dark. “I’ve been having these memories or flashbacks,” he ran his hand through his hair. “In the past, I thought you had abandoned me.” 

“But I didn’t, not really,” Bonnie said brow furrowing. 

This was bad and she had a sinking feeling whatever Kol was about to tell her, it was worse than she had suspected. 

“I know that now and trust me, it’s better you aren’t there. Nik would have done to us what he did to Sage and Finn.” 

It wasn’t the first time, Kol had expressed concerns like this. And she assumed he was right. She didn’t get the feeling Klaus was someone, who liked sharing his siblings with anyone else. Even when they had been human, he had been the one she interacted with the least. Sometimes, she suspected he was jealous of her friendship with Rebekah as if he wanted his little sister all to himself. Now she figured it was the wolf in him. Tyler had been super possessive too when he first turned and it had passed once, he learned to control his emotions. Separate himself from the wolf inside. 

“I really hate Klaus,” she said quietly. 

“As do I,” Kol said darkly. Bonnie had the feeling he was planning something she didn’t know about, but since they weren’t dating, she supposed it wasn’t her business. His family was his drama. “I didn’t handle it. I killed people, massacred them, combing through every village, city and lone house as I searched for you, but I found nothing. I never found a single trace of you and I lost your scent at Ayanna’s.” 

“Oh my God,” she squeezed her eyes shut and stopped walking. The compass in her hand was spinning in circles, they were in the right spot. She could feel the energy of the nexus crackling, they could open it any minute now. “Oh my God, this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have - I should never have allowed this thing to happen between us. Not when I knew there was a chance, I couldn't change anything.” 

Kol cupped her cheeks. He touched his forehead to hrs. He was breathing calmly and she could feel his warm breath on her face, it sent a shiver down her spine. 

“It wasn’t your fault. None of it,” he murmured. “I fell for you that first day at Ayanna’s. It wouldn’t have mattered what happened, I would spend eternity searching for you.” 

Bonnie’s eyes flew open. “You did?” 

“I did,” his thumb stroked her cheek. “And whatever atrocities I committed as I was out of my mind with grief are my fault. Not yours, you’re innocent of them, do you understand me?” 

Bonnie wanted to say she did, she really did, but it wasn’t the case. In a way, it was all her fault because she had failed to save the Mikaelsons from their fate. If only she had been faster, stronger, braver or smarter, none of this would have needed to happen. So no, all of the Originals and their sins were on her as much as on them. She was as much to blame for what they became as Esther. 

And in Kol’s case, she was even more responsible. She had left him and she never should have done that. She understood, why she needed to stay away now. Klaus would kill her if she tried to be with him. Sadly, that also meant she had to let go of this Kol. 

“Stop it,” she whispered turning her face to the side. “Please, just stop. We can’t ever be together and this- this it hurts too much.” 

“Bonnie,”Kol murmured in a husky voice, turning her face back to his so that her lips were a hairsbreadth away from his. “We can be together. I swear it.” 

“What about Klaus? Even in the future, he won’t let us. And I can’t kill him without killing myself. Maybe I can desecrate him, but sooner or later someone will wake him like how Mikael was woken.” 

“But I have something that will force him to leave us alone, I promise. I'd never put you in harm’s way. I can handle Nik when we return to the present. Do you believe me?” 

Bonnie nodded. “I do.” 

Kol pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was brief and lingering, just the lightest of touches. Yet it was scorching. Bonnie felt as if every nerve of her body was on fire. 

“Together again, I see,” Mikael’s cold voice cut in. “I should have known I would find you with the witch.” 

Kol pushed Bonnie behind him. 

“Open the portal,” Kol told her in an undertone. He straightened up and faced his father. “Nik got away then I take it?” 

Bonnie cut open the palm of her hand. She let her blood drip onto the ground and closed her eyes to chant. Behind her, she could hear Mikael threatening Kol. But she ignored that and focused on drawing her power out. 

As she chanted, her voice grew steadily louder in time with the noises of Kol and Mikael fighting behind her. 

XXX 

Kol glowered at his father and tried to shield Bonnie. All he needed to do was buy her enough time to open the portal. Then he would send her through, escape his father’s clutches, track down Henrik and wait for Bonnie wherever the portal might have opened up. He was certain a trip to the astral plane and Lucy would be able to find Bonnie for him. 

“I’ll find your half-brother make no mistake,” Mikael growled. “But first I am going to kill you and your witch so that she can’t bring you back from the dead.” 

“I am getting tired of people threatening Bonnie.” 

Kol saw out of the corner of his eye that Bonnie had started the spell. He also saw that Mikael’s eyes narrowed, seeing what she was doing. But for all that Mikael was married to a witch and had magical children, he did not understand it. Their one chance was that Mikael would not have the vaguest idea what she was doing. 

Kol charged, he ran into Mikael like a linebacker and knocked him over. Mikael went flying and hit the wall of a nearby house. It broke and he flew through it. 

Before Mikael could reemerge from the house, Kol vampire ran inside. He leaned over Mikael, but his father grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the floor. He landed with a slam and kicked upward. Mikael hit the ceiling and it broke. 

In the blink of an eye, Mikael was back on the floor. Kol looked out and saw the portal was opening. He rushed forward and kicked Mikael in the face. He hurried forward and Mikael caught his leg. Once again Kol kicked him in the nose and blood gushed from his nose. Mikael growled and swore. 

Kol grabbed his neck and snapped it. Mikael’s neck broke with a cracking sound. Kol ran to Bonnie, she was standing in front of the portal. Her hair was blowing in the wind and she was struggling not to be pulled into it. 

“KOL! I’M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!” 

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders and gave her an intense look. Her nose was bleeding and her body was shaking as she kept the spell going even while they talked. 

“Bonnie my sweet, you need to go through without me.” 

“No, I'm not leaving without you or Henrik,” Bonnie cried putting her hands on his. “I won’t do it.” 

Her nose started to bleed even worse. Blood poured of her nose and her knees trembled, he caught her. 

“You have to. I need to find Henrik. I can’t leave him.” 

“Then I am coming with you.” 

Kol saw Bonnie’s determination. 

“You can’t - Mikael will -” 

Bonnie was too weak to stand and he supported her. 

“He’s your brother, you can’t leave him, but I can’t do this without you. Please Kol, I can’t go through the portal alone, I have no idea where I'll end up.” 

Her hands squeezed him tightly and she looked afraid. He was surprised by her strength even though this spell was wearing her out. 

Mikael groaned and Kol heard him starting to wake. Whatever they were going to do, they needed to do it soon. 

“You’ll be alright, I'll find you.” 

“But what if you don’t? I can’t do this alone! Kol, please. I'll stay with you.” 

Kol agonized for a few seconds. He did one last check and there was no sign of Henrik. He would know enough to run, Kol had warned him what to do if they ever encountered Mikael. He would be alright. However, he couldn’t risk Bonnie in a confrontation with Mikael. He had lost her once and he couldn’t do it again. And his father would target Bonnie mercilessly because he knew she was his weakness. And she was too weak to fight. Neither could he send her through the portal alone when she was frightened. 

“You’re right,” he said. “I’ll go with you.” 

“No,” she pleaded her eyes green. “We can’t leave Henrik -” 

Whatever else she was going to say was lost because Mikael was back on his feet. Acting fast, Kol grabbed Bonnie by the waist and dragged her into the portal. 

Mikael roared and grabbed for him. Kol kicked him in the face and Mikael fell backward. The last thought Kol had as he and Bonnie entered the portal was how many times today, he had kicked his father in the face a lot today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, the reactions from last chapter – mind blown! Plottwist! Rebekah and Lucy, omg, right? Also yes, plottwist, Lucy is secretly a bitch! I kind of figured she was since she worked with Katherine. Anyway, let me know what you thought of the chapter! The kennett, the ending - I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but I'll have another chapter up in two weeks. I'm working too much to update weekly, but I'm trying. 
> 
> I'm fireismyelement97 on tumblr if you want to be kept in the loop about updates and changes in the updating schedule. Send me an ask if you want to request a bonkai or kennett drabble. 
> 
> \- Izzy

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter and if you liked it, please give it kudos!  
> I'm fireismyelement97 on tumblr if you have a kennett drabble you would like to see happen.


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